GIFT  OF 
Gladys   Isaacson 


CORRESPONDENCE    SCHOOL 
FOR   RELIGIOUS    SCHOOL  TEACHERS 

Conducted  by 

The  Jewish  Chautauqua  Society 


Methods  of  Teaching 

Primary  Grades 

Course  B 


BY   ELLA   JACOBS 


LIBRARY 

Mt' 


PHILADELPHIA    p'         ' 
HILADELPHIA,  P^ioux  city>  Iowm 

(All  Righti  Reierred)  I    /     A 

No.  ->-«?'-  ..... 


Copyright  1914 

by 
The  Jewish  Chautauqua  Society 


GLADYS    ISAACSON 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


LESSON  PAGE 

I.    Foreword 7 

II.     Buying  the  Birthright 19 

III.     Life  of  Jacob  (l) 31 

IV.     Life  of  Jacob  (2)   43 

V.    Life  of  Jacob  (3) 55 

VI.     Life  of  Joseph  (l) 65 

VII.     Life  of  Joseph  (2) 77 

VIII.     Life  of  Joseph  (3) 87 

IX.     Early  Life  of  Moses 99 

X.     Moses  the  Man Ill 

XI.     The  Deliverance  from  Egypt 123 

XII.     The  Passover 135 

XIII.  Esther  (l) 145 

XIV.  Esther  (2) 159 

XV.     Esther  (3) 173 

XVI.     Teaching  the  Prayers  and  Psalms 185 

XVII.  Teaching  the  Ten  Commandments(I-III)  195 

XVIII.     The  Commandments  (IV-X) 205 

M27866 


RESPECTFULLY  INSCRIBED 

TO 
CLARA  KAUFMAN  RUBIN 

FRIEND  OF  THE 
JEWISH  CHAUTAUQUA  SOCIETY 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


PREFACE 


The  explanation  given  for  the  lessons  embodied 
in  Course  A  of  Methods  of  Teaching  Primary  Grades, 
holds  good  also  for  lessons  contained  in  Course  B. 
The  hope  is  entertained  that  this  volume  will  be  of 
further  aid  in  the  early  religious  instruction  of  the 
child. 

Attention  is  here  called  to  the  necessity  of  weav- 
ing the  ethical  lessons  into  the  Biblical  story  in  such 
a  way,  that  the  former  becomes  of  one  piece  with  the 
latter.  The  parent  as  well  as  the  teacher  might  use 
this  publication  profitably  in  the  education  of  the 
child — their  common  task. 

The  Author's  thanks  are  herewith  again  ex- 
pressed to  Dr.  Henry  Berkowitz,  Chancellor  of  the 
Jewish  Chautauqua  Society ,  and  to  Dr.  William  Rose- 
nau,  Dean  of  the  Correspondence  School,  for  much 
valuable  assistance  given  in  the  preparation  of  this 
work. 

ELLA  JACOBS 


Philadelphia,  May  1914. 


LESSON  I 
FOREWORD 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

Lesson  I— Foreword , " .,  ,  |     v  \!  , 
TEACHER'S  PREPARATION 

When  the  careful  teacher  has  completed  the  les- 
sons in  Course  I  of  the  Primary  work,  he  will  pause 
before  starting  the  next  year's  work.  Like  the  consci- 
entious merchant,  he  will  take  stock  of  his  assets  and 
liabilities.  He  will  give  himself  and  his  work  a  thor- 
ough examination  or  test.  Some  of  the  questions  he 
should  put  to  himself  are : 

"Am  I  qualified  to  proceed  with  my  work?" 
"Do  I  thoroughly  understand  the  import  of 
the  lessons  I  have  taught?" 

"Have  I  made  the  meaning  of  the  lessons 
clear  to  the  children  ?" 

"Have  the  material  of  the  lessons  and  the 
method  of  my  work  been  simple  and  compre- 
hensible?" 
He  will  also  ask  himself : 

"Have  I  failed  at  all?    If  so,  where? 
"Can  I  continue  my  work  feeling  I  have  put 
forth  my  very  best  efforts?" 
Candid   answers   to  these  self -inquiries   will  be 
helpful  to  the  teacher  and  will  put  him  in  the  right 
frame  of  mind  for  the  succeeding  lessons. 

The  children  entering  upon  the  second  year 
of  the  Primary  Course  should  be  from  eight  to  nine 
years  of  age.  They  are  still  very  young  for  purely 
mental  work.  All  religious  and  ethical  problems  must, 
for  them,  therefore,  be  stated  simply.  They  must  also 
be  taught  slowly.  The  children  must  be  frequently 
questioned  in  order  to  ascertain  whether  they  under- 
stand the  story  and  comprehend  the  point  made  by  the 
teacher.  It  is  only  by  constant  repetition  and  frequent 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


paraphrasing  (expressing  the  same  thought  in  several 
different  way c)  that  the  teacher  can  really  make  him- 
self understood. 

METHODS  OF  INSTRUCTION 

In  this,  the  second  year,  the  children  are  already 
accustomed  to  the  Religious  School  and  will  talk  out 
with  more  freedom  than  in  the  first  year.  The  judi- 
cious teacher,  taking  advantage  of  this  natural  growth 
and  development,  will  himself  speak  less  and  have  the 
pupils  talk  more.  Instead  of  limiting  himself  almost 
exclusively  to  the  use  of  the  narrative  style,  as  he  had 
to  do  in  the  first  year,  he  may  adopt  more  and  more 
the  questioning  method.  This  is  an  advantage,  as  it 
allows  more  pupils  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  recita- 
tions. The  children  will  also  be  able  to  write  simple 
sentences  by  the  time  they  have  reached  this  class. 

During  the  first  year  the  teacher  had  to  content 
himself  with  having  the  picture  illustrating  the  story 
pasted  in  a  book  at  home.  (See  Lessons  I  and  II, 
Course  III.)  Now  the  children  may  be  expected  to 
write  a  few  sentences  or  a  very  short  story  about  the 
picture.  Make  it  a  privilege  to  write  a  "story" 
in  the  blank  book.  Do  not  command  it  to  be  done. 
Each  week  read  aloud  to  the  class  a  few  of  the  stories 
written  by  the  pupils.  Look  at  every  book  every 
week,  and  praise  the  work,  if  possible.  It  is  suggested 
that  no  criticism  of  spelling  be  made. 

The  work  must  be  the  child's  own  work,  not  the 
parents'.  Even  misspelled  words  and  poorly  con- 
structed sentences  which  represent  the  child's  personal 
effort  are  greatly  to  be  preferred  to  the  parent's  work. 
Continue  the  use  of  the  blue  cards  with  the  gilt  stars 
on  them  for  regular  and  prompt  attendance.  (See 
Lessons  I  and  II  of  Course  III.)  The  children  will 

10 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

still  be  interested  in  them.  The  cards  form  a  second 
tangible  connecting  link  between  home  and  school. 
Many  parents,  who  might  be  careless  and  not  recog- 
nize the  importance  of  punctuality  in  a  Religious 
School,  are  taught  to  realize  it  by  the  distress  of  a 
tardy  pupil  who  does  not  receive  his  tiny  star. 

The  lessons  in  this  course  begin  with  the  life  of 
Jacob.  The  general  plan  of  teaching  will  be  the  same 
as  in  the  previous  course. 

There  are  a  number  of  advantages  in  adhering 
to  the  same  general  method.  The  teacher  can  often 
illustrate  by  some  reference  to  a  story  taught  or  a 
point  made  in  the  previous  work.  Similarities  may  be 
traced,  differences  discovered,  and  so  the  work  be 
made  more  interesting  to  both  teacher  and  pupil. 

Before  teaching  the  lessons  on  the  life  of  Jacob, 
let  the  teacher  read  in  the  Bible,  in  the  Jewish  Ency- 
clopedia and  in  other  available  reference  books  the 
entire  life  of  Jacob,  and  thus  obtain  a  clear  idea  of  the 
conditions  of  life  in  Jacob's  times — the  mode  of  living, 
manner  of  dress,  methods  of  travel,  food — and  of 
such  facts  as  will  make  the  whole  subject  clear  and 
comprehensible  to  the  teacher  himself. 

Let  him  then  study  each  separate  lesson,  divide 
the  subject  into  topics  and  arrive  at  a  clear  and  defi- 
nite idea  of  the  subject  he  wishes  to  teach  each  week. 

Rather  use  too  little  than  too  much  of  the  mate- 
rials of  the  lesson.  Go  slowly!  This  is  the  keynote 
of  success  in  teaching  little  folks.  Review  frequently ! 
Such  review  helps  to  retain  in  the  memory  what  has 
been  previously  learned. 

Explain  in  detail,  so  that  every  fact  and  idea  may 
be  grasped  and  clearly  understood  by  the  child's  mind. 
Be  patient  with  errors.  Many  mistakes,  often  ludi- 
crous and  incomprehensible  to  you,  will  occur. 

11 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

MATERIALS  OF  INSTRUCTION— HOW 
SELECTED 

Remember  that,  as  in  the  previous  lessons,  what 
to  omit  in  a  story  is  just  as  important  as  what  to  tell. 
These  Biblical  narratives  are  to  be  used  in  an  eclectic 
way.  We  select  for  pedagogical  and  ethical  purposes 
that  which  is  serviceable  to  stimulate  in  the  child  a 
love  for  what  is  good,  and  the  desire  to  emulate  the 
same.  Emphasis  is,  therefore,  to  be  laid  upon  noble 
traits,  and  the  evil  is  to  be  referred  to  as  a  contrast 
and  to  accentuate  the  good. 

Any  other  presentation  of  the  Biblical  story  must 
be  deferred  to  a  later  study  by  the  matured  mind. 
For  example,  in  the  story  of  Jacob  several  points  must 
be  omitted:  The  shrewd,  cunning  man  Jacob  tried 
in  every  way  to  get  rich  at  Laban's  expense.  (Genesis, 
Chap.  XXX:  31-43.)  Do  not  tell  of  Jacob's  trickery 
to  the  children.  In  the  later  narrative,  do  not  lay  too 
much  emphasis  on  Jacob's  great  partiality  for  Joseph. 
This  partiality  must  be  touched  upon  because  of  the 
great  trouble  it  caused  in  the  family. 

The  Biblical  narrative  reveals  the  unfolding  of 
Jacob's  character.  He  develops  from  "Jacob  the  de- 
ceiver" through  struggle  and  self-mastery  to  become 
at  last  "Israel  the  champion  of  God."  As  a  young 
man,  Jacob  evinced  these  lower  traits.  His  efforts  to 
obtain  the  coveted  birthright  and  blessing  depict  him 
in  anything  but  a  good  light.  As  he  grew  older  these 
traits  were  replaced  by  the  nobler  qualities  which 
made  him  an  example  to  be  emulated. 

This  process  of  elimination  must  be  made  with 
care  also  in  the  succeeding  stories  of  Joseph,  Moses 
and  Esther.  Let  the  teacher  be  sure  to  take  out  the 
chaff  and  leave  the  kernels,  omit  the  bad  and  select 

12 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

the  good.  The  evil  in  the  Biblical  characters,  though 
not  to  be  emphasized,  must  yet  be  mentioned,  in  order 
to  bring  out  the  real  goodness  and  greatness  to  which 
these  characters  attained.  It  is  not  "begging  the  ques- 
tion" with  young  children  to  try  in  every  way  possible 
to  show  them  pictures  of  the  good,  the  positive  and 
the  beautiful,  and  to  try  to  hide  from  them  the 
evil,  the  negative  and  the  ugly. 

It  is  necessary  to  show  some  development  of 
character.  Naughty  children  often  develop  into  good 
men  and  women.  With  age  comes  judgment.  Re- 
nunciation and  self-denial  purify  character.  The  Bib- 
lical characters  were  only  human.  We  must  con- 
stantly repeat  this  to  ourselves  and  the  children.  Do 
not  attribute  divine  characteristics  to  the  Biblical  char- 
acters. No  human  beings  are  perfect,  but  their  good 
deeds  very  often  exceed  their  shortcomings. 

In  this  class  it  is  well  to  teach  simple  Bible  texts, 
e.  g.,  selections  from  Proverbs  and  Psalms,  prayers 
and  Commandments.  Some  teachers  may  have  intro- 
duced this  feature  in  the  lower  class.  If  not,  let  this 
surely  be  done  in  the  second  year.  The  teacher  is  re- 
ferred to  the  little  booklet  entitled  "Prayers  for  Home 
and  School,"  by  Ella  Jacobs,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  This 
book  contains  the  Commandments  in  simple  language 
and  abbreviated  form,  suitable  for  the  young  child. 
It  has  short  and  simple  prayers  for  night  and  morning 
and  for  the  religious  school  classroom.  It  has  a  few 
Psalms.  It  also  contains  the  reasons  for  observing 
all  the  holidays  and  the  Hebrew  and  English  words 
for  the  "Shema."  This  little  book  may  serve  as  the 
first  text-book.  A  copy  of  it  may  be  placed  in  the 
hands  of  every  pupil.  Pupils  will  be  interested  in 
having,  like  their  older  brothers  and  sisters,  a  book 

13 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

to  use  at  home.  The  children  are  old  enough  now  to 
offer  a  little  prayer  night  and  morning.  The  teacher 
should  occasionally  ask  whether  they  do  so. 

RELIEVING  THE  TENSION 

Continue  to  use  the  birthday  and  the  collection 
box.  Impress  upon  the  pupils  the  nobility  and  joy 
of  generosity,  which  is  twice  blessed:  "Blessing  him 
who  gives  and  him  who  takes."  Lantern  slides  should 
be  used  for  review.  This  procedure  is  a  valuable  aid 
to  the  work.  The  pupils  might  be  shown  more  of 
the  geography  of  Bible  lands,  but  not  too  much.  Chil- 
dren are  not  capable  of  comprehending  much  of  this 
subject. 

In  a  word,  manner,  method  and  material  in 
Course  II  must  all  show  a  logical  advance,  a  natural 
growth  and  sequence  following  upon  the  lessons  in 
Course  I.  Be  careful  in  answering  the  children's 
questions.  Try  to  explain,  whenever  possible,  always 
keeping  within  the  range  of  the  child's  comprehen- 
sion. Above  all,  the  children  must  be  strengthened 
in  faith — faith  in  you,  faith  in  themselves  and  faith 
in  God. 

HOW  TO  MEET  A  DIFFICULT  QUESTION 

Some  questions  are  difficult  to  answer.  These 
are  treated  from  time  to  time  in  these  lessons.  Sug- 
gestions are  given  as  to  how  to  deal  with  them.  In 
many  instances  it  may  be  well  to  reply  that  children 
will  understand  when  they  grow  older.  Such  an 
answer  will  prove  satisfactory  to  children,  if  the 
teacher  has  won  their  confidence.  Let  me  cite  one 
instance:  A  teacher  asked  me  how  to  explain  the 
idea  of  God  to  a  child.  The  answer  is  quoted  as  a 
help  to  other  teachers. 

14 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

We  must  speak  of  the  Deity  as  having  human 
attributes,  because  to  express  the  infinite  we  have 
only  finite  modes  of  thought  and  finite  words.  The 
Rabbis  have  said  that  "The  Bible  speaks  in  the 
language  of  man."  Thus  we  speak  of  the  "All-seeing 
eye,"  "the  finger  of  God,"  "an  outstretched  Arm," 
"Whose  throne  is  the  Heaven  and  whose  footstool 
is  the  earth."  All  such  expressions  we  know  are  in- 
sufficient and  are  to  be  taken  figuratively.  We  cannot 
express  ourselves  in  any  other  manner. 

The  Chinese  represent  the  Creator  of  the  world 
as  a  man  with  a  gimlet  boring  out  rocks;  the  Norse, 
as  a  giant,  Thor,  who  with  big  sledge  hammer  is 
breaking  stones  to  form  the  earth.  Michael  Angelo's 
"Creation"  shows  God  as  a  deified  man  with  angels 
hovering  about  Him.  All  these  conceptions  of  the 
Creator  are  equally  unsatisfactory  and  imaginative. 
To  teach  young  children  the  conception  of  an  invisible 
God  is  difficult,  but  the  teacher  must  refrain,  as  far  as 
possible,  from  picturing  God  in  a  human  form. 

HOW  TO  TEACH  A  YOUNG  CHILD  ABOUT 
GOD 

Ask  the  child  what  makes  the  leaves  move  in  the 
trees.  They  will  know  it  is  the  wind.  You  cannot 
see  the  wind,  yet  you  are  sure  there  is  such  a  force 
or  power.  It  turns  windmills.  It  can  blow  down 
houses.  It  can  uproot  trees.  Or  ask:  What  makes 
the  street  cars  run?  What  is  used  for  lighting  the 
streets?  Electricity!  You  are  sure  of  the  power, 
although  it  is  invisible.  Again  illustrate:  Watch  an 
apple  fall  to  the  ground.  See  a  coin  fall.  It  never 
remains  in  the  air.  Why  so?  Because  a  force  of 
nature  (gravitation)  pulls  it  down.  After  these  illus- 
trations proceed  to  make  the  analogy.  God  is  the 

IS 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

Cause.  He  is  the  Creative  Force.  He  is  the  Direc- 
tive Power,  making  and  ruling  all  things,  yet  we 
cannot  see  Him. 

ILLUSTRATE  GOD'S  LAW  THUS : 

Notice  that  the  sun  rises  each  day  in  the  east 
and  sets  in  the  west.  Plant  a  peach  seed.  A  peach 
tree,  never  an  apple  tree,  will  grow.  These  are  in- 
violable laws  of  Nature.  System  and  order  are  every- 
where seen  in  Nature.  Note  the  change  of  seasons. 
They  always  recur  in  order.  Nothing  happens 
chance.  God's  power  creates  and  His  will  directs 
things.  In  the  same  way  show  His  omnipotence,  His 
omniscience  and  omnipresence  in  the  world  about  us 
by  proving  that  God's  laws  are  operative  everywhere, 
all  working  with  perfection.  Deeper  than  all  this  arc 
His  mercy  and  His  goodness  to  His  creatures,  in  pro- 
viding for  their  wants  and  caring  for  them  and  pro- 
tecting them.  "The  Lord  is  good  to  all,  and  His 
mercies  extend  over  all  His  works."  (Ps.  CXLV:9.) 

By  constant  reference  to  these  facts  the  teacher 
can  lead  the  child  to  some  idea  of  Divinity. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  In  beginning  Course  IV,  of  this  work,  what 
points  of  similarity  does  the  teacher  naturally  expect 
to  find  with  the  preceding  course?    What  points  of 
difference  ? 

2.  Why  are  some  details  of  the  Biblical  narra- 
tive omitted?    Give  an  example. 

3.  Will  the  teaching  of  Course  IV,  in  your  opin- 
ion, be  more  difficult  or  less  difficult  than  Course  III? 
State  the  reason  for  your  answer. 

16 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

4.  How  would  you  teach  a  little  child  about  God  ? 

5.  Why  should  these  lessons  be  more  interesting 
to  the  children  than  the  ones  of  the  previous  year? 

6.  What  part  should   the  children  take    each 
week   in  the  recitation? 

7.  What  preparation  at  home  is  required  of  the 
children  in  this  grade? 

8.  What  is  the  length  of  time  the  teacher  should 
expect  the  child  to  devote  to  home  preparation  ?    What 
part  should  the  parent  take  in  this  work? 

9.  How  long  should  children  of  this  class  be  kept 
in  session  each  week? 

10.  Write  out  a  program  for  the  work,  stating 
time  to  be  given  for  prayer,  new  lesson,  review,  etc. 


17 


Lesson  II 
Buying  the  Birthright 


19 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lessen  II— Buying  the  Birthright 

Aim  of  the  Lesson — To  illustrate  that  in  every 
person  there  are  good  and  evil  inclinations. 

Memory  Gem — "Thou,  Oh  God,  seest  me."  (Com- 
pare Zachariah  IV:  10;  II  Chronicles  XVI:  9.) 

Bible  References— Genesis  XXV;  XXVII:  1-40. 

Pictures— Wilde's  506,  "Esau  Sells  His  Birth- 
right." Tissot  22,  "The  Mess  of  Pottage." 

Object — Some  dried  lentils. 
Song — The  Golden  Rule. 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

As  this  is  the  first  lesson  in  Bible  narrative  for 
the  second  year  of  the  child's  life  in  the  religious 
school,  the  point  of  contact  must  be  carefully  made. 
Indeed,  the  point  of  contact  will  best  be  made  by  means 
of  a  brief  review  of  the  preceding  Bible  tales. 

The  teacher  must  not  make  the  error,  however,  of 
making  too  detailed  a  review.  By  doing  so,  unneces- 
sary time  would  be  consumed  and  the  child  become 
confused  and  tired  before  the  real  lesson  of  the  day 
is  reached. 

In  this  lesson  on  "The  Early  Life  of  Jacob"  the 
teacher  must  have  in  mind  the  whole  story  of  Jacob's 
entire  career  and  also  the  relation  it  bears  to  the  life 
of  his  father  and  grandfather. 

An  impressive  and  easy  way  to  make  the  point 
of  contact  then  will  be  for  the  teacher  to  place  the 
following  diagram  on  the  blackboard: 

21 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Hagar       ) 

Ishmael 

Abraham  J 

Abraham  1 
and   f 
Sarah  J 

Isaac  and   )  1  Esau 
Rebekah   j  2  Jacob 

The  children  will  easily  understand  this.  Tell 
them  that  we  call  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  our  great 
forefathers,  the  Patriarchs. 

Get  them  to  recall  some  promises  God  made  to 
Abraham  and  Isaac.  See  Lessons — Genesis  XVII: 
4-6-8;  Genesis  XXII:  17  and  18;  Genesis  XII:  1,  2 
and  3;  Genesis  XXVI:  3,  4,  5. 

These  verses  show  plainly  that  God  blessed  Isaac 
for  the  sake  of  his  father  Abraham.  The  pupils  will 
now  learn  that  God  continued  to  bless  Jacob  for  the 
sake  of  Abraham  and  Isaac. 

APPLICATION 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

Isaac  and  Rebekah  had  two  sons,  who  were  named 
Esau  and  Jacob.  Esau  was  the  older.  The  boys 
grew  up,  and  Esau  was  an  expert  hunter,  a  man  of 
the  field,  while  Jacob  was  a  plain  man,  dwelling  in 
tents.  "And  Isaac  loved  Esau  because  he  did  eat  of 
his  venison,  but  Rebekah  loved  Jacob."  (Genesis  XXV : 
27  and  28.) 

These  verses  contain  the  reason  for  many  of  the 
trials  of  Jacob,  as  well  as  for  all  the  sufferings  of 
Isaac  and  Rebekah.  Here  we  have  an  instance  of  the 
partiality  of  parents  for  a  special  child.  Of  course, 
this  must  be  very  lightly  touched  in  teaching  the  lesson 
to  young  children. 

22 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

Itt 

Tell  something  of  the  early  life  of  the  two  boys. 
They  were  unlike  physically  and  spiritually.  Esau 
was  a  rough  and  hairy  man.  As  Esau  grew  up  he 
liked  to  hunt,  and,  of  course,  this  pleased  his  father. 
And  when  Esau  killed  his  first  deer,  with  the  bow 
and  arrow  Isaac  had  made  for  him,  his  father  was 
very  proud.  He  often  took  Esau  out  hunting  with 
him. 

Jacob,  however,  was  very  different  He  had  a 
delicate  complexion;  his  skin  was  smooth  and  soft. 
He  was  a  quiet,  thoughtful  boy.  He  disliked  hunting. 
He  preferred  to  stay  at  home,  to  dwell  in  tents  and 
help  his  mother. 

Rebekah,  partly  for  these  reasons  and  partly  be- 
cause Isaac  showed  such  preference  for  Esau,  grew 
to  love  Jacob  more  and  more,  and  mother  and  son 
became  close  companions. 

Of  course,  most  of  the  laws  in  those  days  were 
very  different  from  the  laws  of  today.  Yet  in  some 
we  can  trace  great  similarity.  At  present,  when  a 
king  or  queen  dies,  the  eldest  son  becomes  the  heir, 
succeeds  to  the  throne  and  is  made  the  ruler  of  the 
country.  In  olden  times  this  law,  called  the  law  of 
primogeniture,  also  prevailed  in  ordinary  families. 
When  the  father  died,  the  eldest  son  became  the  head 
of  the  family  and  received  the  larger  share  of  the 
possessions  of  his  father.  Esau  was  the  elder  son 
of  Isaac,  and  at  his  father's  death  he  was  entitled 
to  be  the  heir.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  eldest  son  to 
become  familiar  with  all  the  work  of  his  father. 

Isaac  was  trained  to  become  his  father's  (Abra- 
ham's) heir,  but  Esau  cared  little  about  his  birthright 
with  the  accompanying  honors.  He  delighted  in  hunt- 
ing, and  forgot  his  duties. 

23 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

As  Isaac  grew  older  his  eyesight  failed,  and  he 
finally  became  blind.  Of  course,  he  could  not  go  out 
hunting  with  Esau.  There  were  many  duties  then 
which  Esau,  instead  of  his  feeble  father,  should  have 
performed,  but  he  neglected  them  to  indulge  in  his 
own  pleasures. 

It  was  customary  on  the  anniversary  of  the  death 
of  a  parent  or  grandparent  to  fast ;  also  to  cook  some 
lentils  and  place  them  on  the  deceased  ancestor's  grave 
while  offering  a  prayer  to  God  for  the  rest  of  the 
departed  soul.  (Jewish  Encyclopedia,  Vol.  VII,  page 
63.)  As  Isaac  was  feeble  and  nearly  blind,  these 
duties  devolved  on  Esau ;  but,  as  you  know,  he  shirked 
them. 

Lentils  are  small  beans,  perfectly  round  in  shape, 
and,  probably  because  of  the  endless  line  or  circle,  were 
used  on  the  anniversary  of  a  death  to  symbolize  im- 
mortality. 

Tradition  tells  that  one  day,  on  some  such  anni- 
versary, Esau  neglected  his  duty  and  went  out  hunting 
as  usual.  Jacob,  in  the  meanwhile,  cooked  the  lentils 
and  made  them  into  pottage.  (Show  some  dried  len- 
tils; call  attention  to  their  shape.) 

Esau  returned  home  very  hungry,  and  the  pottage 
smelled  good  to  him,  so  he  said  to  Jacob:  "Let  me 
taste,  I  pray  thee,  some  of  that  yonder  red  pottage, 
for  I  am  faint."  (Genesis  XXV:  30.) 

In  those  far  off  times  and  places  the  eldest  son 
really  ruled  over  the  younger  brothers.  The  servants, 
also,  were  bound  to  obey  him.  So  Esau  might  readily 
have  taken  the  pottage,  and  Jacob  could  not  have 
prevented  it.  But  both  Esau  and  Jacob  knew  that 
the  lentils  had  been  cooked  for  quite  a  different  pur- 
pose, i.  e.,  for  placing  them  on  a  grave.  They  also 
knew  that  Esau  ought  not  to  eat  until  sundown,  until 

24 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

the  day  of  fasting  was  over.  But  Esau  cared  little 
for  his  birthright,  while  Jacob  was  very  anxious  to 
have  it.  This  explains  why  Jacob  refused  to  give 
his  brother  the  pottage  at  first.  Then  the  thought 
occurred  to  Jacob  that  he  might  get  the  coveted  birth- 
right by  offering  to  exchange  or  to  sell  the  pottage  for 
it.  He  suggested  to  Esau  that  he  buy  the  pottage. 
Esau  said  he  had  nothing  wherewith  to  pay  for  it, 
but  Jacob  eagerly  reminded  him  of  his  birthright. 
Esau,  although  a  big,  strong,  rough  man  in  body, 
was  weak  spiritually.  He  could  not  stand  the  suffer- 
ing or  inconvenience  of  fasting.  The  smell  of  the 
food  overcame  all  his  scruples.  He  could  not  control 
his  appetite,  and  so  he  parted  with  his  sacred  birth- 
right. 

Read  to  the  class  what  the  Bible  says  about  it: 
"And  Jacob  said,  'Sell  me  this  day  thy  right  of  first- 
born/ And  Esau  said:  'Behold,  I  am  going  to 
die,  and  what  profit  then  can  the  right  of  first-born 
be  to  me?'  And  Jacob  said:  'Swear  unto  me  this 
day ;'  and  he  swore  unto  him ;  and  he  sold  his  right  of 
first-born  to  Jacob.  Then  Jacob  gave  Esau  bread  and 
pottage  of  lentils,  and  he  did  eat  and  drink,  and  he 
rose  up  and  went  his  way;  thus  Esau  despised  his 
birthright."  ( Genesis  XXV :  29-34. ) 

In  thinking  about  this  narrative,  we  are  impressed 
at  first  with  the  meanness  and  shrewdness  of  Jacob. 
But  before  teaching  it  to  the  class,  go  deeper  into  the 
motives  of  both  the  brothers,  Esau  and  Jacob.  Ac- 
cording to  our  standards  of  morality  today,  Jacob 
does  appear  in  a  bad  light.  He  should  have  given 
his  hungry  brother  some  food.  Then  he  should  not 
have  required  an  oath  from  him.  His  simple  word 
should  have  been  enough.  But  even  little  children  will 
understand  how  frequently,  under  stress  of  circum- 

25 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

stances,  people  will  make  promises  which  they  do  not 
intend  to  keep  or  they  will  forget  such  promises.  A 
man  in  danger  of  drowning  will  promise  all  his  be- 
longings to  his  rescuer,  but  when  he  is  safe,  often 
forgets  his  vow.  Children  themselves,  when  forcing 
a  gift  from  some  child,  will  make  him  say:  "King, 
king,  double  king,  never  take  it  back  again."  This 
jingle  is  to  insure  permanent  future  possession  of  the 
gift. 

Tell  the  child  that  later  on  he  will  hear  of  a  king 
(Pharaoh)  who  made  promise  after  promise,  and 
broke  his  word  repeatedly.  This  common  failing  of 
young  and  old  seems  to  excuse  or  to  palliate  the  fact 
of  Jacob's  making  his  brother  Esau  swear  to  let  him 
keep  the  much-desired  birthright.  Jacob  did  not  want 
Esau  to  say  afterwards:  "Oh,  I  was  starving  then, 
and  I  was  only  joking."  Esau  would  not  have  starved 
to  death  in  a  few  hours.  He  was  weak  and  foolish 
not  to  endure  the  little  inconvenience.  He  showed 
that  he  "despised"  his  birthright,  of  which  he  should 
have  felt  so  proud,  and  which  was  a  God-given  bless- 
ing. Jacob  craved  it,  and  took  the  only  means  he 
knew  to  secure  it.  Both  brothers  were  to  blame  for 
the  transaction,  and  both  were  punished,  and  had  much 
trouble  later  on  in  their  lives  on  account  of  this  bar- 
tered birthright.  The  children  will  be  told  of  these 
troubles  when  they  learn  in  the  next  lesson  about  the 
Stolen  Blessing. 

IMPRESSING  THE  MORAL  OF  THE  LESSON 

This  story  gives  an  excellent  opportunity  for  em- 
phasizing in  the  course  of  the  narrative  the  virtue  of 
sobriety  and  the  evil  effects  of  uncontrollable  appetite 
in  eating  and  drinking — a  lesson  which  the  children 
need.  Remember  that  it  is  better  to  teach  a  positive 

26 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

lesson,  a  virtue,  than  a  negative  lesson,  a  vice.  The 
children  will  at  some  time  surely  see  some  pitiable 
inebriate  on  the  streets,  so  it  is,  therefore,  well  to 
anticipate  such  a  sight.  A  person  who  cannot  control 
his  desire  to  drink  strong  drinks,  such  as  beer,  wine, 
whiskey,  etc.,  and  who  drinks  to  excess,  is  called 
a  drunkard.  Enlarge  on  the  evils  of  drunkenness — a 
dreadful  habit ;  and  speak  of  the  misery  of  a  drunkard, 
and  of  the  sorrow  and  shame  of  his  family. 

A  person  who  cannot  control  his  appetite  for  food 
is  a  glutton.  While  gluttony  is  not  as  repulsive  and 
the  effects  are  not  as  disastrous,  yet  it  is  a  serious 
fault.  Esau  appears  to  us  as  a  man  who  could  not 
control  his  appetite  for  food.  Each  one  should  learn 
to  master  or  control  his  evil  desires  and  appetites  and 
not  let  them  master  or  control  him. 

As  Jews,  we  do  not  believe  in  total  abstinence, 
but  we  do  believe  in  moderation  in  drink,  food  and 
all  other  features.  Our  religion  has  prescribed  dietary 
laws  which  have,  whenever  observed,  kept  the  Jewish 
people  temperate  and  healthy. 

RESUME 

Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  are  the  three  great 
Jewish  Patriarchs,  or  forefathers.  Abraham  was 
known  as  the  first  Hebrew.  He  was  the  founder  of 
our  faith.  God  made  many  promises  to  Abraham,  to 
bless  him  and  his  children,  and  his  children's  children, 
and  through  them  to  bless  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth.  God  repeated  these  promises  to  Isaac,  Abra- 
ham's son.  Later  on  they  were  repeated  to  Jacob. 

Isaac  and  Rebekah  had  two  sons,  Esau  and  Jacob. 
As  children  they  were  unlike,  and  as  they  grew  up 
these  differences  were  more  apparent,  both  physically 

27 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

and  spiritually.  Esau  was  rough,  burly  and  fond  of 
hunting.  Jacob  was  quieter  and  loved  to  dwell  in  the 
tent.  The  father,  Isaac,  showed  greater  love  for  Esau, 
while  the  mother,  Rebekah,  cared  more  for  Jacob. 

Parents  should  love  all  their  children  alike.  The 
baby  in  a  family  is  usually  the  favorite ;  but  this  is  on 
account  of  its  tender  age  and  helplessness.  According 
to  the  laws  of  the  land,  Esau  was  entitled  to  the  birth- 
right; but  he  despised  it,  while  Jacob  yearned  to  have 
it.  Of  the  two  brothers,  Jacob  was  best  fitted  to 
become  the  head  of  the  family.  He  felt  this,  and 
keenly  desired  to  obtain  this  position. 

One  day,  when  Esau  came  home  from  hunting, 
tired  and  hungry,  Jacob  persuaded  Esau  to  barter  or 
sell  his  divine  right  of  birth  for  mere  food — a  mess  of 
pottage.  At  first  glance  it  seems  unbrotherly  in 
Jacob  to  make  Esau  buy  what  should  have  been  given 
him.  But  tradition  says  that  both  knew  that  Esau 
was  observing  a  religious  fast,  and  therefore  he  should 
not  have  eaten  anything.  He  was  a  weak  man  and 
could  not  control  his  appetite.  In  order  to  get  what 
he  most  desired,  Jacob  took  advantage  of  his  brother's 
failing.  Both  brothers  did  wrong  and  suffered  for  it 
during  a  long  series  of  years. 

We  must  learn  to  control  our  wishes,  desires 
and  appetites.  Esau  could  not  do  this,  and  hence  lost 
his  birthright.  This  act  changed  the  events  of  his 
whole  life. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  should  the  point  of  contact  be  made  with 
the  previous  lesson  ? 

2.  (a)  What  is  the  advantage  of  a  short  review 
each  week  ? 

28 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

(b)  What  is  the  disadvantage  of  going  too 
far  back  in  the  review  ? 

3.  Cite  some  mental  and  physical  differences  be- 
tween Esau  and  Jacob. 

4.  Explain  the  law  of  primogeniture  in  Bible 
times. 

5.  What  actions  of  Isaac  and  Rebekah  caused 
much  trouble  in  their  family  ? 

6.  What  custom  prevails  among  us  today  on  the 
anniversary  of  a  parent's  death  ?    How  does  this  com- 
pare in  purpose  with  the  ceremony  of  olden  times  ? 

7.  Why  did  Esau  sell  his  birthright? 

8.  Why  was  Jacob  so  anxious  to  obtain  it  ? 

9.  What  flaws  were  shown,  respectively,  in  the 
character  of  both  Esau  and  Jacob  in  this  transaction  ? 

10.  Who  are  the  three  great  Patriarchs?    Why 
are  they  so  called  ? 

11.  Tell  briefly  how  you  would  teach  the  control 
of  the  appetite  to  young  children. 


29 


Lesson  III 
Life  of  Jacob  (1) 


31 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lesson  III— Life  of  Jacob  (1) 

Special  Topic— The  Stolen  Blessing. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson — To  show  that  one  sin  leads 
to  another. 

Memory  Gem — "Honor  thy  father  and  thy 
mother."  (Fifth  Commandment.)  Exodus  XX  :  12. 

Bible  References— Genesis  XXVII,  XXVIII  :  1-9 
inclusive. 

Pictures— Tissot  19,  20. 

Objects — Bow,  quiver  and  arrows. 

Song — The  Golden  Rule,  continued. 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

The  teacher,  as  usual,  should  begin  the  lesson  by 
reviewing  the  chief  events  covered  by  the  previous 
lesson.  For  this  purpose  let  him  use  the  "Resume"  of 
the  previous  lesson,  omitting  the  portion  on  sobriety 
and  intoxication.  Let  the  children  tell  how  Jacob 
secured  the  coveted  birthright.  Did  he  get  it  by  fair 
means  entirely?  Anything  which  is  obtained  in  an 
unjust  way  never  brings  happiness.  One  sin  usually 
leads  to  others.  The  children  will  learn  the  truth  of 
this  as  the  story  progresses.  Ask  them  if  in  these 
days  the  right  of  the  eldest  son  is  preserved  in  ordi- 
nary life.  To  some  degree  it  is.  A  father  often  takes 
his  eldest  son  into  the  firm  with  him,  and  this  son 
continues  the  business  after  the  father  dies.  An  heir- 

33 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

loom,  as  a  rule,  passes  by  courtesy  and  tradition  to  the 
eldest  son.  Both  Esau  and  Jacob  knew  that  they  had 
done  wrong  in  the  matter  of  the  birthright,  so  it  is 
very  probable  that  they  did  not  tell  their  parents,  Isaac 
and  Rebekah,  anything  about  the  transaction. 

APPLICATION 

PRESENTATION  OF  THE  LESSON 

Jacob  had  secured  the  desired  birthright,  but  was 
dissatisfied.  He  felt  that  he  wanted  the  blessing  also 
which  accompanied  it.  In  olden  times  the  blessing  of 
God  was  an  important  factor  in  the  lives  of  men.  Recall 
some  of  the  blessings  of  God  to  Noah,  Abraham  and 
Isaac.  So,  too,  in  those  days  special  importance  was 
attached  to  the  father's  blessing.  Of  course,  by  right 
of  seniority  Esau  was  entitled  to  the  greatest  blessing. 

For  variety  in  the  work  read  to  the  children  first 
Genesis  XXVII  :  1-40,  as  a  continuous  story.  The 
narrative  is  worded  so  simply  that  they  will  readily 
understand  the  greater  part  of  it.  Moreover,  it  is 
well  occasionally  to  let  the  children  hear  Biblical  lan- 
guage. It  accustoms  the  ear  to  the  wonderful  phrase- 
ology, which  has  come  down  to  us  witih  little  alteration 
through  many  centuries. 

After  the  story  has  been  read,  begin  to  ask  ques- 
tions about  it,  in  order  to  test  the  clearness  with  which 
the  meaning  has  been  conveyed  to  the  children.  Then 
proceed  to  explain  any  misunderstood  portions. 

In  the  previous  lesson  the  children  were  told  that 
as  Isaac  grew  old  he  became  blind.  He  wanted  to  be 
sure  to  give  his  last,  best  blessing  to  his  elder  son, 
Esau,  who  was  his  favorite.  It  was  no  hardship,  but 
a  pleasant  task,  to  obey  the  command  to  go  forth  and 
hunt  a  deer,  in  order  to  kill  it  and  cook  it  as  his  father, 

34 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

Isaac,  liked  it.  But  the  mother,  Rebekah,  wanted  the 
blessing  for  her  best  beloved  son,  Jacob.  So,  as  soon 
as  Esau  had  left  the  tent  she  called  Jacob  and  told 
him  hurriedly  to  kill  two  kids.  She  promised  to  cook 
the  meat  and  season  it  to  Isaac's  taste,  so  that  he 
would  think  it  was  the  meat  of  a  deer.  Although 
Jacob  wanted  the  blessing,  he  feared  to  do  what  his 
mother  asked.  He  was  afraid  not  of  the  wrong  deed, 
but  of  being  detected.  So  many  people  are  like  Jacob. 
They  will  do  wrong,  but  only  fear  "being  found  out." 
Tell  the  children  that  it  is  the  wrongdoing  of  which  we 
should  really  be  afraid.  We  should  avoid  evil  because 
it  is  evil.  No  wrong  ever  goes  undiscovered,  and  pun- 
ishment always  follows,  sooner  or  later.  Jacob 
reminded  his  mother  of  the  difference  between  himself 
and  Esau.  "Esau,  my  brother,  is  a  hairy  man,  and  I 
am  a  smooth  man.  If  my  father  will  feel  me  and  I 
should  then  seem  to  him  as  a  deceiver,  I  would  bring 
upon  me  a  curse  and  not  a  blessing."  In  her  great 
mother-love  for  him  Rebekah  replied:  "Unto  me  be 
thy  curse,  my  son,  only  obey  my  voice."  (Genesis 
XXVII:  11-13.) 

Call  attention  to  the  boundless  love  of  parents  for 
their  children.  The  mother  was  willing  to  bear  the 
blame,  i.  e.,  to  be  cursed,  so  that  her  son  should  be 
benefited.  She  was.  willing  to  be  punished  for  the  sin 
of  another. 

A  child's  sin  always  reacts  on  its  parents.  But 
our  parent,  like  our  Heavenly  Father,  always  loves 
us  and  is  willing  to  forgive  our  sins,  if  we  repent  of 
them. 

Let  the  teacher  guard  well  against  the  error  of 
attempting  to  condone  Rebekah's  wrongdoing  in 
deceiving  her  blind  husband  and  in  teaching  her  boy  to 
practice  deception.  It  is  in  its  simple  portrayal  of  such 

35 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

human  weakness  and  in  revealing  the  sad  effects  of 
yielding  to  them  that  the  moral  force  of  the  Lesson  is 
impressed.  Do  not  attempt  to  conceal  from  the  pupil 
the  frailty  of  Rebekah  and  her  selfish  love  for  her 
favorite  son.  But  do  not  paint  her  as  exceptional. 
Indicate,  rather,  how  all  mothers  are  similarly  tempted 
by  affection  and  how  love  and  friendship  also  have  tiheir 
dangers.  The  Lesson  is  a  warning  to  mothers  and 
sons,  but  a  lesson  we  all  need.  Impress  the  sad  results 
to  which  the  wrongdoing  led ;  viz. :  the  flight  of  Jacob 
and  all  the  troubles  which  befell  him ;  the  cruel  separa- 
tion of  the  son  from  his  parents ;  the  sorrow  of  Isaac 
and  the  years  of  trial  which  followed. 

To  the  child  of  the  Primary  Grade,  father  and 
mother  are  perfect  beings.  The  Bible  narrative  pre- 
sents parents  who  are  not  alone  imperfect,  but  weak. 
Rebekah  is  sinful.  It  is,  indeed,  a  very  delicate  matter 
to  present  such  pictures  without  suggesting  to  the 
child,  though  it  be  unconsciously,  the  thought  that  its 
own  parents  may  be  capable  of  like  offenses.  Here 
the  tact  of  the  teacher  is  needed  to  safeguard  the  child's 
love  of  parent  untainted  and  its  spirit  of  devotion  and 
absolute  obedience  undiminished.  To  insure  this,  the 
narrative  of  the  family  life  of  Isaac  must  be  told  with 
sorrow  at  its  failings,  not  with  scorn  or  contempt. 
The  ideal  is  to  be  clarified  and  emphasized  by  contrast 
with  a  picture  from  real  life.  That  contrast  should  not 
be  concealed  and  left  to  a  later  painful  self -discovery 
by  the  child.  Rebekah  thought  that  the  end  justified 
the  means.  She  was  punished  by  having  to  send  her 
son  away  and  never  seeing  him  again.  This  was  the 
penalty  for  her  sin.  Jacob's  deception  was  punished  in 
many  ways.  Long  years  after  this  his  own  children 
deceived  him,  as  he  had  deceived  his  father. 

36 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

When  Jacob  took  the  food  to  his  father,  Isaac  felt 
him,  and,  of  course,  was  deceived  by  the  hairy  hide  on 
Jacob's  hands.  It  is  pathetic  to  think  of  the  old  blind 
man  saying:  "The  voice  is  the  voice  of  Jacob,  but 
the  hands  are  the  hands  of  Esau."  These  words  are 
often  used  now  when  a  sin  is  committed  or  a  deception 
practiced.  So  the  old  blind  man  ate  the  food,  and 
with  great  solemnity  kissed  his  son,  putting  his  hands 
on  the  head  of  Jacob  in  blessing.  Being  deceived  and 
thinking  that  it  was  Esau,  Isaac  gave  to  him  the  great 
and  coveted  blessing: 

"May  God  give  thee  of  the  dew  of  Heaven,  and 
the  fatness  of  the  earth,  and  plenty  of  corn  and  wine. 
Nations  shall  serve  thee,  and  people  bow  down  to  thee ; 
be  lord  over  thy  brethren,  and  thy  mother's  sons  shall 
bow  down  to  thee ;  cursed  be  they  that  curse  thee,  and 
blessed  be  they  that  bless  thee."  (Genesis  XXVII: 
28-29.) 

Teachers  are  sometimes  puzzled  by  the  question 
whether  Jacob  should  or  should  not  have  obeyed  his 
mother.  Her  command  was  a  strong  one.  But  here 
again  it  is  not  feasible  to  tell  young  children  not  to 
obey  their  parents,  whatever  the  command  may  be. 
While  they  are  young,  "Honor  thy  father  and  thy 
mother"  is  a  command  to  be  obeyed  absolutely.  The 
sin  is  on  the  parent  who  misleads,  not  upon  the 
irresponsible  child  that  is  misled. 

Soon  after  Isaac  had  blessed  Jacob,  Esau  returned 
from  the  hunt.  He  brought  the  deer,  which  he  pre- 
pared and  cooked.  He  took  it  to  his  father.  The  scene 
is  at  once  pathetic  and  tragic.  Imagine  Isaac's  feelings 
when  he  found  that  Jacob  had  deceived  him  and 
secured  the  blessing.  Imagine  Esau's  sorrow  and  rage 
when  he  discovered  this  theft.  He  said :  "He  hath  sup- 

37 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

planted  me  these  two  times ;  my  right  of  first-born  he 
took  away;  and  behold  now  he  hath  taken  away  my 
blessing."  (Genesis  XXVII :  36.) 

The  Bible  tells  us  that  Esau  wept,  and  no  doubt 
Isaac  wept  also  to  know  the  grief  of  his  son ;  to  think 
of  Jacob's  deception,  by  which  Esau  had  really  lost 
the  birthright,  and  therefore  he  would  not  succeed  his 
father  in  power  and  possessions.  It  is  very  probable 
that  Esau  now  regretted  keenly  that  he  had  despised 
his  birthright  and  had  sold  it  so  cheaply  to  Jacob.  But 
a  deed  done  cannot  be  undone.  (Enlarge  on  this  topic.) 

He  begged  his  father  for  a  blessing,  saying: 
"Hast  thou  but  one  blessing?  Bless  me  also,  Oh  my 
father!"  Isaac  then  blessed  him,  telling  him  that  he 
should  live  by  the  sword — that  is,  be  the  leader  of  a 
warlike  tribe.  But  Isaac  said  that  Esau  should  serve 
his  brother,  Jacob,  until  he  was  strong  enough  to 
throw  off  the  yoke  of  servitude  from  his  neck. 

Esau  went  away  from  Isaac  in  sorrow  and  anger. 
"He  hated  Jacob  because  of  the  blessing  wherewith  his 
father  had  blessed  him."  And  he  resolved  that  after 
his  father  was  dead  he  would  kill  Jacob.  (Genesis 
XXVII:  41.) 

What  a  horrible  crime  it  was  that  Esau  contem- 
plated !  Though  he  had  murder  in  his  heart,  yet  how 
dearly  he  loved  his  father !  He  would  not  grieve  him. 
No,  he  would  wait,  perhaps  for  years,  "until  the  days 
of  mourning  will  be  at  hand."  Not  until  these  had 
passed  would  he  revenge  himself  for  his  wrongs. 

When  Rebekah  discovered  Esau's  plans  she  was 
naturally  grieved  and  frightened.  So  she  said  to 
Jacob :  "Behold,  thy  brother  Esau  doth  comfort  him- 
self, with  regard  to  thee,  purposing  to  kill  thee.  Now, 
therefore,  my  son,  obey  my  voice ;  and  arise,  flee  thou 
to  my  brother  Laban  to  Haran ;  and  tarry  with  him  a 

38 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades— -II. 

short  time  until  thy  brother's  fury  turn  away.  Until 
thy  brother's  anger  turn  away  from  thee  and  he  for- 
gets that  which  thou  hast  done  to  him ;  then  will  I  send 
and  fetch  thee  from  there;  why  should  I  be  deprived 
of  both  of  you  at  once,  in  one  day  ?"  Genesis  XXVII : 
43-45.) 

Rebekah  had  done  wrong,  and  her  punishment 
began  at  once.  She  feared  that  her  eldest  son  would 
be  a  murderer.  She  feared  that  her  younger  son 
would  be  murdered.  She  feared  that  she  would  lose 
them  both.  She  resolved  to  send  Jacob  far  away  to 
her  old  home,  to  her  brother.  She  knew  that  Laban 
would  care  for  him  for  her  sake.  But  she  did  not  want 
to  tell  Isaac  the  true  reason  of  making  Jacob  leave 
home.  She  again  deceived  him. 

She  told  Isaac  that  she  did  not  want  Jacob  to 
marry  one  of  the  girls  of  the  land,  as  Esau  had  done. 
She  told  him  how  much  she  had  grieved  over  Esau's 
marriage.  She  reminded  him  that  his  father,  Abra- 
ham, had  sent  a  servant  back  to  their  own  birthplace 
to  get  a  wife  for  him.  She  spoke  of  how  she  herself 
had  left  home  to  become  his,  Isaac's  wife.  She  begged 
him  to  send  Jacob  back  to  her  old  home  to  get  a  wife 
for  himself. 

All  this  seemed  plausible  to  Isaac,  and  perhaps 
he  was  anxious,  too,  to  separate  the  brothers,  for  he 
knew  there  must  be  bitter  feeling  between  them.  Isaac 
sent  for  Jacob  and  told  him  that  he  must  not  marry 
among  the  Canaanites,  but  that  he  must  go  to  Padan 
Aram,  their  old  home  in  another  country,  there  to  find 
his  wife  among  his  own  kindred.  Isaac  gave  a  parting 
blessing  to  Jacob.  In  this  blessing  it  is  seen  that  he 
realized  that  Jacob  was  to  succeed  him  and  carry  for- 
ward the  sacred  task  which  had  come  down  to  him 
from  his  father,  Abraham.  Note  the  words :  "God, 

39 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

the  Almighty,  bless  thee,  and  make  thee  fruitful,  and 
multiply  thee,  that  thou  mayest  become  a  multitude  of 
people.  And  may  he  give  thee  the  blessing  of  Abra- 
ham, to  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  with  thee;  that  thou 
mayest  inherit  the  land  of  thy  sojourn,  which  God  gave 
unto  Abraham."  (Genesis  XXVIII :  3  and  4.) 

To  Jacob  the  parting  must  have,  indeed,  been  a 
sad  one.  He  kissed  his  mother  again  and  again,  and 
listened  to  the  many  messages  she  sent  to  her  family 
in  the  far-off  land  and  to  the  words  of  love  and  advice 
which  she  gave  him.  Deep  down  in  their  hearts  the 
mother  and  son  knew  that  they  both  had  sinned.  Jacob 
left  his  father  in  sorrow.  He  had  deceived  the  blind 
man,  and  even  now  he  was  leaving  him  in  a  deceitful 
manner.  He  wondered  if  he  should  ever  see  that 
pathetic,  feeble  form  again.  He  parted  from  his 
brother  Esau  in  anger,  for  Esau,  naturally  enough, 
could  not  so  soon  forget  the  wrong  that  Jacob  had 
done  to  him.  So  it  was  with  a  sorrowful  heart  that 
Jacob  took  up  his  few  possessions  and  started  on  his 
long,  eventful  journey.  Tell  the  children  that  this  les- 
son depicts  one  of  the  saddest  scenes  in  the  whole 
Bible:  strife  in  a  family.  Instead  of  father,  mother 
and  sons  living  happily  together,  as  a  family  should, 
there  were  suffering,  quarrelsomeness,  springing  from 
envy  and  selfishness  and  leading  to  grief.  Each  one, 
from  selfish  motives  of  his  own,  helped  to  deaden  love 
and  to  break  up  a  home.  Things  grew  from  bad  to 
worse,  until  the  family  ties  were  torn  asunder  and  the 
youngest  member  had  to  flee  for  his  life. 

RELIEVING  THE  TENSION 

Show  the  bow  and  arrow.  Explain  their  use  in 
telling  of  Esau's  occupation  as  a  hunter.  Show  the 
pictures.  Apply  the  Memory  Gem.  Sing  the  Song. 

40 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

RESUME 

The  story  of  the  stolen  blessing  is  one  of  the  sad- 
dest in  the  Bible.  It  shows  how  a  happy  family  was 
destroyed  by  the  weaknesses  and  failings  of  each  of  its 
members. 

As  there  are  two  sides  to  every  question,  so  the 
fault  for  any  trouble  is  rarely  to  be  found  with  one 
perspn  alone.  "It  takes  two  to  make  a  quarrel." 

We  see  plainly  that  all  four — Isaac,  Rebekah, 
Esau  and  Jacob — were  involved  in  the  troubles  which 
led  to  the  final  scene:  the  sending  away  of  Jacob  to 
save  his  life. 

Isaac  was  old,  feeble  and  nearly  blind;  and  for 
these  reasons  alone  he  was  entitled  to  the  extra  consid- 
eration, care  and  love  of  his  wife  and  two  sons. 

Esau  was  selfish  and  thought  chiefly  of  his  own 
pleasures,  especially  hunting.  He  despised  his  birth- 
right and  all  the  duties  and  honors  of  the  head  of  a 
great  family. 

Rebekah  had  been  a  good  wife  and  loved  her  hus- 
band dearly,  but  her  mother's  love  was  deeper.  Misled 
by  her  affection,  she  planned  with  Jacob  to  get  the 
blessing  for  him  by  stealth. 

Jacob  was  torn  by  conflicting  emotions.  He  had 
bought  the  birthright,  but  that  was  only  part  of  what  he 
coveted.  He  must  have  the  blessing  also.  Yet  he  dis- 
liked deceit.  He  finally  yielded,  and  really  stole  the 
blessing  intended  for  Esau. 

Through  sorrow  and  suffering  Jacob  is  trained, 
and  finally  he  becomes  fit  to  be  his  father's  successor. 
But  we  must  not  fail  to  believe  and  realize  that  God's 
hand  was  in  all  these  transactions  and  that  he  had  a 
purpose,  in  all  that  befell  Jacob;  in  his  journeys. 

41 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  did  Jacob  obtain  the  birthright?    How 
did  he  obtain  the  best  blessing? 

2.  Who  was  chiefly  to  blame  in  the  matter  of  the 
blessing?    Why? 

3.  Discuss  the  attitude  of  Rebekah  in  making 
Jacob  deceive  his  father. 

4.  Give  your  personal  opinion  as  to  whether  a 
child  should  obey  a  parent's  sinful  command.     State 
reasons  for  your  answer. 

5.  How  did  Esau  feel  when  he  found  that  Jacob 
had  stolen  the  blessing?    How  did  Isaac  feel? 

6.  Why  was  Jacob  so  desirous  of  securing  the 
blessing? 

7.  What  did  Rebekah  do  for  Jacob's  safety? 

8.  How  did  the  last  blessing  Isaac  gave  Jacob 
(Genesis    XXVIII :  3   and  4)    differ    from   the   first 
blessing  (Genesis  XXVII  :28  and  29)? 

9.  State  briefly  how  you  would  teach  the  first 
part  of  this  lesson  to  a  child. 

10.  If  a  child  raised  the  question :    "Should  his 
mother  have  told  Jacob  to  deceive  his  father?"  how 
would  you  answer  it? 


42 


Lesson  IV 
Life  of  Jacob  (2) 


43 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 


Lesson  IV— Life  of  Jacob  (2) 

Aim  of  Lesson — To  show  that  God  is  always 
watching  over  us. 

Memory  Gem — "I  am  with  thee  and  will  keep  thee 
wherever  thou  goest."  Genesis  XXVIII  :  15. 

Bible  References  —  Genesis  XXVIII:  10-22, 
XXIX. 

Pictures— Jacob's  Dream,  Tissot  24. 
Song — "God  is  always  near  me." 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

The  previous  lesson  ended  with  the  departure  of 
Jacob  from  home. 

The  teacher,  in  preparing  himself  to  teach  this 
lesson,  should  study  carefully  a  map  of  Palestine.  Let 
him  trace  the  journey  of  Abraham  from  his  home  in 
Chaldea  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  northward  to  Haran. 
Let  him  show  how  Abraham  and  Lot  traveled  south 
to  southwest  and  crossed  the  Jordan  into  Canaan  the 
Promised  Land.  Years  after,  Eleazar,  Abraham's 
servant,  traveled  back  to  Haran,  where  Laban  lived,  to 
get  a  wife  for  Isaac.  Isaac  and  his  family  lived  for 
many  years  at  Gerar,  in  the  northern  part  of  Canaan. 
When  Esau  threatened  to  take  Jacob's  life,  his  mother 
sent  him  to  her  brother  Laban,  at  Haran,  her  old  home. 

The  members  of  this  class  are  too  young  to  under- 
stand all  the  importance  of  these  journeys.  The 

45 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

teacher  must  therefore  indicate  the  various  places  with 
the  merest  sketch  upon  the  blackboard  in  order  to 
show  distance  and  direction. 

Ask  the  children  why  Jacob  was  sent  from  home 
and  whither  his  mother  sent  him.  The  answers  to 
these  questions  will  furnish  the  point  of  contact  with 
the  opening  of  the  new  lesson. 

APPLICATION 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

Jacob  started  on  his  long  journey  with  a  sad 
heart.  He  must  have  thought  of  all  the  sorrow  he  had 
caused  at  home.  Yet  in  spite  of  all  his  faults,  Jacob 
had  a  deep  reverence  for  God  and  yearned  to  become  a 
good,  worthy  man,  so  that  he  could  serve  God  as  did 
his  grandfather  and  his  father.  Here  contrast  Abra- 
ham's journey  with  Jacob's.  Abraham  left  home  at  the 
Divine  call.  (Genesis  XII  :  1-3.)  He  had  been  chosen 
by  God  to  establish  the  monotheistic  religion  and  to  be 
the  founder  of  a  great  people.  Abraham  was  rich  in 
cattle,  flocks,  gold  and  silver.  He  had  his  relatives,  a 
wife,  a  nephew  and  many  servants  with  him.  Jacob, 
on  the  other  hand,  was  driven  from  home  by  fear  of 
death.  He  was  poor.  But,  worse  than  this,  he  was 
all  alone — alone,  save  that  he  knew  God  was  watching 
him  and  caring  for  him.  As  Jacob  journeyed  on,  he 
must  have  had  many  sad  thoughts.  His  first  thoughts 
were  naturally  of  his  poor,  heartbroken  mother,  who 
loved  him  dearly.  Tears  undoubtedly  suffused  his  eyes  as 
he  pondered :  "Oh,  my  dear,  dear  mother !  Will  I  ever 
see  you  again  ?"  He  never  did  see  her  again.  Although 
Jacob,  after  many  years,  returned  to  his  native  land, 
his  mother  had  died  without  having  her  favorite  son 
with  her.  Jacob  was  no  happier  when  he  thought  of 

46 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

his  old,  feeble,  blind  father.  He  pictured  recent 
events:  how  the  old  man  lay  on  his  couch,  waiting 
eagerly  for  his  elder  son,  Esau;  waiting  to  bless  him 
with  the  patriarchal  blessing;  how  he,  Jacob,  had 
deceived  his  old  father  and  had  stolen  the  coveted 
blessing.  Would  the  blessing  benefit  him?  Would  it 
be  fulfilled  ?  Jacob  wondered.  He  could  not  foretell. 

As  Jacob  walked  through  this  strange  country  he 
thought  of  his  only  brother,  Esau.  Esau  had  often 
been  kind  to  Jacob,  despite  his  rough  manner.  "And 
now  I  have  stolen  his  blessing,  I  am  a  thief,"  thought 
poor,  wandering  Jacob. 

It  is  a  sad  thing  to  do  a  wrong  and  then  to  be 
sorry  when  it  is  too  late.  Yet  by  prayers,  atonement 
and  better  conduct  we  can  be  forgiven  for  our  sins. 

Jacob  continued  his  journey.  He  did  not  know 
how  far  he  had  walked,  nor  was  he  aware  how  much 
farther  he  would  have  to  go.  He  now  noticed  that 
the  sun,  which  had  been  bright  overhead  in  the  sky, 
was  getting  lower  in  the  west.  Long,  dark  shadows 
were  cast  by  the  trees.  Night  was  advancing.  And,  all 
at  once,  Jacob  began  to  feel  very  tired,  hungry  and  oh ! 
so  very,  very  lonely.  Ask  the  children  whether  they  have 
ever  played  all  day  alone;  whether  they  ever  felt 
lonely  when  night  came  on.  By  realizing  such 
moments  of  loneliness  they  can  partially  sympathize 
with  the  young  man,  Jacob.  Let  the  pupils  think  of 
the  difference  between  a  journey  now  and  in  Jacob's 
days.  Most  of  the  children  have  taken  a  trip  in  a  car, 
boat  or  train.  Some  have  travelled  at  night  in  a  com- 
fortable sleeper  or  stateroom.  The  next  morning  they 
perhaps  have  had  a  delightful  breakfast  served  them. 
Then  picture  Jacob's  journey.  He  travelled  miles  over 
a  country  unknown  to  him,  over  roads  rarely  used. 
His  mother,  no  doubt,  had  given  him  food  for  the 

47 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

journey.  He,  perhaps,  stopped  by  the  roadside  and 
ate  his  evening  meal  alone  and  in  silence.  He  saw 
plants,  flowers  and  trees  fade  from  sight  as  the  day 
grew  darker  and  darker.  The  stones  around  looked 
black.  Far  off,  beyond  the  mountain  tops,  he  saw  the 
sun  sink,  until  it  finally  disappeared  from  sight;  and 
Jacob  in  his  solitude  truly  felt  himself  a  stranger  in  a 
strange  land.  But  he  was  not  a  coward.  He  felt  and 
knew  that  God  was  omnipresent — everywhere — and 
that  therefore  God  was  with  him  then  just  as  much  as 
when  safely  at  home.  Jacob  took  a  large  flat  stone 
and  used  it  as  a  pillow.  He  put  his  bundle  and  his 
shepherd's  crook  near  him.  He  lay  down  to  sleep. 
(See  picture.) 

Explain  that  Canaan,  especially  Mesopotamia,  was 
a  warm  country.  Perhaps  some  children  may  have 
taken  a  nap  on  the  warm  sand  at  the  seashore.  Some 
may  have  seen  farmhands  lie  down  at  noon  under  trees 
and  go  to  sleep. 

While  Jacob  was  asleep  he  had  a  most  wonderful 
dream.  "And  he  dreamed;  and  behold,  a  ladder  was 
set  up  on  the  earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reached  to  heaven ; 
and  behold,  angels  of  God  were  ascending  and  descend- 
ing on  it."  (Genesis  XXVIII :  12.) 

In  dreams  all  things  are  possible  and  seem  real. 

Jacob  thought  the  angels  looked  at  him  kindly 
and  smiled  with  friendly  faces  to  give  him  courage 
and  assurances  of  his  safety. 

"And  behold  the  Lord  stood  above  it,  and  said,  I 
am  the  Lord,  the  God  of  Abraham,  thy  father,  and  the 
God  of  Isaac ;  the  land  whereon  thou  liest,  to  thee  will 
I  give  it  and  to  thy  seed."  (Genesis  XXVIII :  13.) 

When  Jacob  heard  these  words  a  great  load  was 
lifted  from  his  mind  and  heart.  He  felt  that  God  had 
accepted  him  as  the  descendant  of  Abraham  and  Isaac, 

48 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

worthy  to  teach  the  faith  in  the  one,  true  God.  He  had 
already  obtained  the  birthright  and  the  blessing.  His 
father  had  blessed  him  as  the  chief  of  the  household. 
Therefore,  he  felt  the  happier  to  have  also  God's  assur- 
ance. And  as  he  received  this  Jacob  resolved  to  be 
worthy  of  it.  Henceforth  he  determined  he  would  be 
a  strong,  truthful,  brave  and  good  man. 

God  further  said  to  Jacob:  "And  thy  seed  shall 
be  as  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  thou  shalt  spread 
abroad  to  the  west,  and  to  the  east,  and  to  the  north 
and  to  the  south;  and  in  thee  and  thy  seed  shall 
all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  (Genesis 
XXVIII:  14.) 

As  a  child  it  had  made  Jacob  thrill  and  glow 
with  pleasure  and  pride  to  hear  his  father,  Isaac,  tell 
that  the  grandfather,  Abraham,  had  been  chosen  for 
such  a  noble  calling.  He  loved  to  listen  to  the  story 
of  Abraham's  journey.  Ah,  how  different  his  own 
seemed !  He  knew,  too,  that  God  had  made  great  prom- 
ises to  his  father,  Isaac.  He  had  wished  that  he,  in 
turn,  could  succeed  Isaac  and  become  a  leader  and 
religious  guide;  that  through  him  all  the  families  of 
the  earth  might  be  blessed.  Indeed,  it  was  this  great 
longing  in  his  heart  that  caused  Jacob  to  buy  the  birth- 
right and  cunningly  secure  the  blessing.  He  knew 
Esau  despised  his  birthright.  Esau  felt  no  pride  in 
ancestry.  Esau  even  married  one  of  the  women  of  the 
country  in  which  he  lived.  Esau  did  not  try  to  keep 
the  seed  of  Israel  a  distinct  and  pure  race.  So  Jacob's 
heart  naturally  filled  with  joyful  emotions  as  he  heard 
God  speaking  to  him. 

Notice  the  similarity  of  wording  between  the 
blessing  that  God  gave  Jacob  and  that  which  He  had 
given  to  Abraham.  (Genesis  XVII  :  6-9.)  Compare 
it  also  with  God's  blessing  to  Isaac.  (Genesis  XXVI  : 

49 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

3-4.)  To  assure  the  lonely  man  once  more  of  His 
infinite  love  and  care,  the  Almighty  continued  and 
said :  "And  behold,  I  am  with  thee,  and  will  keep  thee 
whithersoever  thou  goest,  and  will  bring  thee  again  into 
this  land ;  for  I  will  not  leave  thee,  until  I  have  done 
what  I  have  spoken  to  thee  of."  (Genesis  XXVIII  : 
15.)  Jacob  knew  the  blessings  which  God  had  bestowed 
on  Abraham  and  Isaac.  He  knew  they  would  be  ful- 
filled. Therefore,  when  Jacob  heard  the  repetition  and 
continuance  of  these  promises,  love,  reverence  and 
gratitude  filled  his  heart.  When  Jacob  awoke  the  next 
morning  he  said :  "Surely  the  Lord  is  present  in  this 
place,  and  I  knew  it  not."  (Genesis  XXVIII  :  16.) 
"And  he  was  afraid  and  said,  How  fearful  is  this 
place!  This  is  none  other  but  the  house  of  God." 
(Genesis  XXVIII:  17.) 

Jacob  was  not  afraid  in  the  sense  of  being  terri- 
fied, but  being  filled  with  deep  awe,  a  sublime  and  holy 
fear.  In  the  presence  of  one  whom  we  truly  love  and 
respect  we  would  fear  to  lie  or  do  or  even  think  any 
wrong.  So  it  is  not  cowardly  to  "fear  God,"  which 
really  means  to  "fear  to  do  evil."  To  fear  One 
infinitely  greater  and  higher  than  we  are  is  righteous 
fear.  The  Bible  says :  "The  fear  of  God  is  the  begin- 
ning of  wisdom."  "Fear"  in  this  verse  does  not  mean 
bodily  fear.  The  word  is  used  in  a  different  sense.  It 
signifies  reverence. 

"And  Jacob  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  took 
the  stone  that  had  been  his  pillow  and  set  it  up  for  a 
pillar  and  poured  oil  upon  the  top  of  it."  (Genesis 
XXVIII:  18.) 

Be  sure  that  the  pupils  know  the  difference  be- 
tween the  words  pillow  and  pillar.  Avoid  confusion 
here  and  later.  Write  the  words  on  the  board  and 
explain  their  meaning.  Tell  the  children  that  stones 

50 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

are  often  used  as  pillars,  or  memorials,  to  God.  There 
were  no  synagogues  or  temples  in  Jacob's  days.  In 
times  of  great  stress  men  raised  these  simple  stones. 
The  remains  of  these  early  altars  have  been  found 
during  some  of  the  recent  excavations  in  the  Holy 
Land. 

It  was  an  ancient  custom  to  pour  oil  on  objects 
and  persons  as  a  mark  of  honor  and  sanctification.  We 
read  later  on  of  oil  being  used  to  anoint  Saul  when  he 
was  chosen  King  of  Israel.  (See  I  Samuel  X  :  1.) 
And  in  one  of  the  Psalms  there  is  an  allusion  to  the 
oil  which  ran  down  Aaron's  beard. 

After  Jacob  poured  oil  on  the  stone  he  called  the 
place  Bethel,  which  means  the  house  of  God.  Then  he 
made  a  promise,  or  vow,  saying :  "If  God  will  be  with 
me,  and  will  keep  me  on  this  way  which  I  am  going, 
and  will  give  me  bread  to  eat  and  raiment  to  put  on, 

And  I  come  again  in  peace  to  my  father's  house, 
then  shall  the  Lord  be  my  God, 

And  this  stone  which  I  have  set  for  a  pillar,  shall 
be  God's  house;  and  of  all  that  thou  wilt  give  me,  I 
will  sure  give  the  tenth  unto  thee."  (Genesis  XXVIII : 
20-22.) 

Jacob  meant  by  this  that  he  would  make  to  God 
sacrifices  and  burnt  offerings,  and  be  charitable  to  the 
poor  and  needy.  Now,  Jacob  proceeded  on  his  journey 
with  happier  thoughts  and  more  ease  of  mind,  full  of 
good  resolutions  for  the  future.  After  some  time, 
Jacob  reached  a  well  of  water,  and,  inquiring  of  the 
shepherds,  who  had  brought  their  flocks  there  to  be 
watered,  Jacob  discovered  that  he  was  at  Haran, 
where  Laban  lived.  He  then  inquired  if  these  men 
knew  Laban.  They  said:  "We  know  him.  He  is 
well,  and  behold,  Rachel,  his  daughter,  cometh  with 
the  sheep."  (Genesis  XXIX :  6.) 

51 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

Rachel  was  a  shepherdess  and  was  caring  for  her 
father's  sheep.  You  can  imagine  how  rejoiced  Jacob 
felt  to  see  his  cousin.  She  was  a  beautiful  girl.  Jacob 
ran  eagerly  to  meet  her,  and  told  her  he  was  the  son 
of  her  aunt  Rebekah.  Then  she  went  home  quickly 
and  told  her  father  Laban,  who  ran  out  to  meet  Jacob, 
"and  embraced  him  and  kissed  him  and  brought  him 
to  his  (Laban's)  house."  (Genesis  XXIX:  13.) 

Jacob  told  Laban  all  the  doings  of  his  family.  In 
those  days  there  were  no  newspapers,  no  telegraph,  no 
telephone.  Letter-writing  was  an  unknown  art.  There 
were  no  railroad  trains,  as  you  know.  So  every  trav- 
eler was  greeted  with  a  hearty  welcome.  This  was 
especially  true  when  the  traveler  proved  to  belong  to 
one's  own  family  from  a  distant  place.  The  arrival  of 
Jacob  at  Haran,  his  going  to  the  house  of  Laban  after 
his  long,  eventful  journey,  will  make  an  appropriate 
ending  to  the  lesson. 

RESUME 

Jacob  was  sent  from  home  by  Isaac  and  Rebekah. 
Each  had  a  different  reason  for  sending  Jacob  away. 

Rebekah  feared  that  Esau  would  avenge  the 
wrong  of  the  stolen  blessing  and  kill  Jacob,  as  he  had 
threatened.  Isaac  did  not  know  of  this,  and  agreed 
with  his  wife  to  send  Jacob  away  to  his  uncle  in  Haran 
in  order  to  prevent  him  from  marrying  a  woman  of 
the  land  in  which  they  lived.  Sad,  discouraged  and 
fearful,  Jacob  bade  good-bye  to  his  family  and  started 
on  his  long,  strange,  perilous  journey.  He  was 
oppressed  by  his  wrongdoings,  and  as  night  approached 
he  became  lonely  and  afraid.  While  Jacob  was  asleep 
he  had  a  wonderful  vision,  or  dream.  He  dreamed  that 
a  ladder,  or  stairway,  was  stretched  from  earth  to 
heaven,  and  angels  were  ascending  and  descending  on 

52 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

it.  The  Almighty  appeared  to  Jacob  and  told  him 
that  he  should  be  the  successor  of  Abraham  and  Isaac. 
He  promised  to  bless  Jacob  himself  and  to  bless  his 
seed  forever.  This  means  that  through  Jacob's  chil- 
dren, grandchildren  and  all  their  children  after  them 
all  the  nations  of  the  world  were  to  be  blessed. 

When  Jacob  awoke  he  no  longer  felt  afraid  and 
discouraged.  He  felt  that  God  would  always  be  with 
him  and  help  him.  He  continued  his  journey  in  a  very 
different  state  of  mind  from  that  in  which  he  had 
started  it.  He  was  elated  and  happy  to  think  that  he 
had  been  found  worthy  of  a  great  charge,  and  resolved 
to  live  up  to  it,  i.  e.,  to  live  a  good  life,  to  be  true  to 
God  and  man.  Jacob  continued  his  journey,  and 
finally  reached  in  safety  the  home  of  his  kinsman, 
Laban,  at  Haran. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  To  insure  the  purity  both  of  race  and  religion, 
Jacob  became  the  heir  of  Isaac.     On  what  grounds 
was  he  found  more  fit  than  Esau  for  this  responsi- 
bility? 

2.  Sketch  a  rough  map  of  Palestine,  showing  on 
it  the  journey  of  Abraham  and  the  journey  of  Jacob. 
Mark  the  cities. 

3.  Contrast  the  purposes  of  Abraham's  journey 
with  Jacob's. 

4.  What  must   have    been    some    of    Jacob's 
thoughts  as  he  left  home  ? 

5.  Describe  Jacob's  dream. 

6.  What  difference  in  Jacob's  feeling  was  brought 
about  by  his  dream  ?    How  did  Jacob  feel  towards  his 
father,  mother  and  brother? 

53 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

7.  How  can  we  atone  for  a  sin  ? 

8.  Tell  some  instance  in  which  a  wrong  act  can 
be  righted.    State  one  instance  in  which  it  cannot 

9.  In  what  respect  was  God's  blessing  to  Jacob 
similar  to  that  made  to  Abraham  and  Isaac  ? 

10.  Have  these  promises  been  fulfilled?     Give 
reason  for  your  answer. 


54 


Lesson  V 
Life  of  Jacob  (3) 


55 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 


Lesson  V—Life  of  Jacob  (3) 

Special  Topic — Jacob's  life  with  Laban. 

Aim  of  Lesson — To  show  God's  Providence,  as 
revealed  in  continued  care  over  Jacob  during  his 
career. 

Memory  Gem — "The  Lord  thy  God  is  with  thee, 
wherever  thou  goest."  Genesis  XXVIII  :  15. 

Bible  References— Genesis  XXIX  :  14-30;  XXX  : 
25-31;  XXXI  :3-18;  XXXII  :l-22;  XXXIII  :  1-18; 
XXXV  :  10-15,  19,  27-29. 

Pictures — Tissot  23  and  25. 

Song — The  Golden  Rule  (Concluded). 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

The  Point  of  Contact  is  readily  made  by  referring 
to  the  familiar  experience  of  dreaming.  In  the  pre- 
vious lesson  the  children  were  told  of  Jacob's  wonder- 
ful dream.  God  kept  His  promise,  as  He  always  does. 
He  guided  Jacob  safely  to  the  home  of  his  uncle, 
Laban,  whither  his  mother  sent  him. 

You  may  imagine  how  eagerly  Laban  asked  ques- 
tions of  Jacob.  He  wanted  to  know  all  that  had  hap- 
pened to  his  sister,  Rebekah,  since  she  had  left  home 
to  become  the  wife  of  Isaac.  Jacob  was  glad  to  be 
able  to  talk  at  length  about  his  dear  mother.  It  was 
full  of  interest  to  him  to  see  her  former  home  and  to 
think  that  his  mother  had  been  about  his  age  when 

57 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

she  had  left  her  home.  The  girl  had  become  a  wife 
and  mother.  Now  she  was  growing  old. 

At  length,  when  a  month  had  gone  by,  Laban 
asked  Jacob  to  stay  with  him  and  to  work  for  wages. 
He  asked  Jacob  how  much  he  should  pay  him.  "And 
Laban  had  two  daughters,  the  name  of  the  elder  was 
Leah,  and  the  name  of  the  younger  was  Rachel."  (Gen- 
esis XXIX  :  16.)  Leah  had  weak  eyes  and  was  not 
attractive,  but  Rachel  was  tall,  handsome  in  form  and 
appearance.  Jacob  fell  in  love  with  her  at  once.  So 
when  urged  to  stay  and  work  for  Laban,  Jacob  said  he 
would  work  for  seven  years  if  Laban  would  let  him 
have  Rachel  for  a  wife  at  the  end  of  that  time.  Laban 
agreed,  and  Rachel  was  willing.  Jacob  worked  hard, 
for  both  duty  and  love  spurred  him  on.  One  can 
always  work  harder  when  striving  to  attain  happy 
results.  The  Bible  says  that  "Jacob  served  for  Rachel 
seven  years,  and  they  seemed  unto  him  but  a  few  days, 
through  the  love  he  had  for  her."  (Genesis  XXIX :  20.) 

Then  Jacob  asked  Laban  for  his  promised  reward, 
Rachel.  Laban  made  a  great  feast  to  celebrate  the 
wedding.  But  he  committed  a  sin  against  Jacob.  He 
deceived  him.  Instead  of  giving  him  Rachel,  he  gave 
him  Leah.  He  put  a  veil  over  the  face  of  Leah  so 
that  Jacob  would  not  notice  the  trick  until  it  was  too 
late.  Jacob  was  very  angry,  but  deep  down  in  his 
heart  he  must  have  felt  that  he  was  being  punished  for 
having  deceived  his  father  years  ago. 

Review  how  Jacob  had  passed  himself  off  for  his 
brother,  Esau,  As  in  those  days  a  man  was  allowed 
to  have  more  than  one  wife,  Jacob  agreed  to  serve 
Laban  seven  years  more  to  wed  Rachel. 

Jacob  was  kind  to  Leah,  for  he  knew  she  was  not 
to  blame  for  the  deception,  but  he  always  loved  Rachel 
more.  She  was  his  first  and  greatest  love.  He  also 

58 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

loved  Rachel's  children  more  than  Leah's.  The  class 
will  hear  about  this  matter  in  subsequent  lessons. 

When  Jacob  became  the  father  of  a  large  family 
lie  began  to  think  of  his  old  home.  He  yearned  to  go 
back  to  make  a  home  there  for  his  wives  and  children, 
and  to  find  out  whether  his  mother  and  father  were 
living.  He  had  received  no  word  from  them  in  all 
these  years. 

So  "Jacob  said  unto  Laban,  send  me  away  that  I 
may  go  into  my  own  place,  and  to  my  country."  But 
Laban  did  not  want  Jacob  to  leave  him.  He  replied : 
"I  have  learned  by  experience  that  the  Lord  hath 
blessed  me  for  thy  sake."  Laban's  flocks  and  sheep 
and  riches  had  increased  greatly  since  Jacob  had  been 
Diving  with  him.  To  Laban,  as  to  most  of  us,  God's 
blessing  seems  to  be  only  of  a  material  kind,  but  we 
know  (See  Genesis  XXXI  :  49,  Mizpah)  that  Jacob's 
life  with  Laban  led  to  more  than  mere  material  good 
for  both  of  them. 

Jacob  agreed  to  stay  with  Laban,  who  gave  him  a 
part  of  the  flocks ;  and  in  a  few  years  these  had  multi- 
plied greatly,  and  Jacob  also  became  a  rich  man. 
Then:  "The  Lord  said  unto  Jacob,  return  unto  the 
land  of  thy  fathers,  and  to  thy  birthplace,  and  I  will 
be  with  thee."  (Genesis  XXXI :  3.) 

In  order  that  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob's  seed 
should  inherit  Canaan,  it  was  necessary  for  Jacob  and 
his  family  to  return  again  to  Canaan. 

Laban  did  not  want  Jacob  to  leave,  but  as  Laban's 
daughters,  Leah  and  Rachel,  were  willing  to  leave, 
Jacob  decided  to  go.  So  he,  with  his  wives,  his  chil- 
dren, his  flocks,  his  herds  and  all  his  possessions, 
which  the  Lord  had  given  him,  departed  from  Laban. 
As  he  journeyed  towards  his  home  he  was  thrilled 
with  great  and  noble  thoughts.  He  was  filled  with 

59 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

thankfulness  to  God,  Who  had  cared  for  him.  He 
thought  of  his  previous  journey.  He  had  left  home 
over  twenty  years  ago  poor,  forsaken,  alone.  Now  he 
returned  rich,  prosperous  and  with  a  large  family.  As 
he  neared  home  he  commenced  to  wonder  what  had 
happened  to  his  parents  and  his  brother  during  these 
twenty  years  of  his  service  with  Laban.  His  father 
had  been  old  and  nearly  blind  when  Jacob  left  home. 
"I  wonder  if  he  is  living.  Will  my  dear  mother  greet 
me  ?"  thought  Jacob.  And  then  he  wondered  whether 
his  brother,  Esau,  still  hated  him  and  whether  he  still 
would  want  to  kill  him.  When  he  came  near  to  the 
section  of  the  land  in  which  Esau  lived,  Jacob  sent 
messengers  to  his  brother,  Esau,  telling  of  his  return 
home  and  asking  Esau  to  forgive  him  and  to  forget  the 
ill  feeling  that  had  existed  between  them.  The  mes- 
sengers returned  and  said  that  Esau,  with  four  hun- 
dred men,  was  coming  to  meet  Jacob.  "Then  Jacob 
was  greatly  afraid,"  and  he  prayed  to  God,  and  he 
said :  "Deliver  me,  I  pray  thee,  from  the  hand  of  my 
brother,  from  the  hand  of  Esau;  for  I  fear  him,  lest 
he  will  come  and  smite  me  and  the  mother  with  the 
children."  (Genesis  XXXII  :  12.)  Jacob  feared  not 
only  for  himself,  but  for  his  wives  and  their  little 
ones.  He  was  not  so  selfish  now.  He  had  thoughts 
also  for  others. 

He  collected  from  his  live  stock  hundreds  of  goats, 
camels,  cows  and  sheep  and  sent  them  ahead  as  a  gift 
to  Esau.  He  told  his  servants  who  drove  these  animals 
to  tell  Esau  that  they  were  a  present  from  Jacob. 

Jacob  and  his  family  proceeded  in  fear  and  trem- 
bling on  their  journey.  They  knew  that  they  would 
meet  Esau  the  next  day,  and  Jacob  was  not  aware  how 
Esau  would  greet  him.  The  next  day  "Jacob  lifted  up 
his  eyes  and  looked,  and  behold,  Esau  came,  and  with 

60 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

him  four  hundred  men."  (Genesis  XXXIII  :  1.) 
Jacob  had  already  divided  his  family  into  groups.  He 
put  the  women  and  children  in  the  rear  for  safety,  for 
he  knew  not  what  was  Esau's  mood  of  mind.  Jacob, 
full  of  misgivings,  yet  courageous,  passed  on  in  front 
and  bowed  down  as  he  approached  his  brother.  "And 
Esau  met  him  and  embraced  him,  and  fell  on  his  neck 
and  kissed  him,  and  they  wept."  (Genesis  XXXIII  : 
4.)  After  more  than  twenty  years  of  separation,  Esau 
had  forgiven  Jacob  and  had  nobly  forgotten  all  that  he 
had  suffered ;  and  he  was  glad  to  welcome  his  brother. 
Esau  did  not  want  to  take  Jacob's  gift,  but  Jacob  said : 
"If  I  have  but  found  grace  in  thy  eyes,  then  do  thou 
receive  my  present  at  my  hand ;  since  I  have  seen  thy 
face,  it  is  as  though  I  had  seen  the  face  of  an  angel, 
and  because  thou  hast  received  me  kindly.  Take  I 
pray  thee,  my  present  that  is  brought  to  thee ;  because 
God  hath  dealt  graciously  with  me,  and  because  I  have 
plenty  of  all.  And  he  urged  him,  and  he  took  it." 
(Genesis  XXXIII:  10  and  11.) 

And  Esau  and  Jacob  became  reconciled  again. 
Jacob  continued  on  his  journey  to  the  land  of  Canaan. 
He  built  several  altars  to  God.  When  Jacob  came  to 
Bethel,  at  which  place  God  had  appeared  unto  him  in 
the  dream  at  the  time  when  he  fled  from  the  face  of 
his  brother,  he  built  a  special  altar,  and  thanked  God 
for  His  Providential  care  through  all  his  journeyings. 
"And  God  said  unto  him,  I  am  God,  the  Almighty,  be 
fruitful  and  multiply,  a  nation  and  an  assemblage  of 
nations  shall  spring  from  thee.  And  the  land  which  I 
gave  to  Abraham  and  to  Isaac,  to  thee  will  I  give  it, 
and  to  thy  seed  after  thee  will  I  give  it."  (Genesis 
XXXV:  11,  12.) 

Rachel,  Jacob's  favorite  wife,  died  on  this  jour- 
ney near  Bethel  before  Jacob  had  reached  the  home  of 

61 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

his  father,  Isaac.  So  Jacob  travelled  on,  sad  at  heart, 
for  he  had  lost  his  dearest  wife ;  and  wondered  whether 
there  had  been  sad  changes  at  home.  When  at  last 
Jacob  reached  the  place  in  which  Isaac  dwelt  he  found 
Isaac  still  alive,  but  his  mother  had  died.  His  mother's 
death  was  a  sad  blow  to  Jacob;  but  we  can  imagine 
that  father  and  son  were  very  glad  to  see  one  another 
again.  Isaac  lived  to  be  over  a  hundred  years  old, 
and  his  last  days  were  made  happy  by  the  reconcilia- 
tion of  his  two  sons,  Esau  and  Jacob. 

APPLICATION  OF  LESSON 

The  teacher  must  call  the  attention  of  the  class 
to  the  fact  that  the  characters  of  both  Esau  and  Jacob 
had  changed  greatly  in  the  course  of  their  separation. 
Bad  boys  often  grow  up  to  be  good  men,  if  they  make 
great  efforts  to  conquer  their  faults  and  try  in  every 
way  to  correct  their  errors. 

Esau  had  conquered  his  temper.  He  had  forgiven 
Jacob.  He  longed  to  see  Jacob  and  tell  him  so.  Jacob 
realized  fully  his  miserable  deception  towards  his 
father  when  he,  in  turn,  was  deceived  by  Laban.  He 
understood  the  anger  of  his  brother,  and  resolved  to  be 
open  and  frank  in  the  future. 

It  often  takes  years  of  sorrow  and  suffering  to 
really  ennoble  the  character  of  a  person.  When  we 
think  of  Esau  and  Jacob  we  realize  that  by  trying 
hard  and  praying  to  God  for  help  we  may  become 
good  men  and  women. 

RELIEVING  THE  TENSION 
Show  the  pictures  illustrating  this  lesson.    Trace 

Jacob's  journey  on  the  wall  map,  or  sketch  the  same 

on  the  blackboard. 

Read  the  narrative  in  the  Biblical  language. 
Apply  the  Memory  Gem. 

62 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

RESUME 

Jacob  agreed  to  live  with  Laban  and  to  serve 
seven  years  for  Rachel,  whom  he  loved.  Laban 
deceived  him  and  gave  him  Leah  for  a  wife.  Jacob's 
love  for  Rachel  was  so  great  that  he  worked  seven 
years  more  for  her.  As  Laban  did  not  want  Jacob  to 
leave  him,  Jacob  worked  six  years  more.  In  this  time 
God  blessed  his  cattle  and  herds,  and  they  increased 
greatly.  Then  Jacob's  longing  for  his  own  home 
became  even  greater,  until  at  last  he  left  Laban  and 
took  his  wives,  his  children  and  all  his  possessions  and 
started  on  his  journey  homeward.  He  had  quite  dif- 
ferent feelings  as  he  retraced  his  steps  from  those  he 
had  twenty  years  before,  when,  weary,  discouraged  and 
lonely,  he  had  sought  shelter  with  Laban  to  be  secure 
from  Esau's  wrath.  Yet,  even  then  he  knew  in  his 
heart  that  God  would  keep  His  promise  to  take  care 
of  him  and  to  bless  him.  Now  he  was  returning  to  his 
old  home  rich  in  cattle,  with  wives  and  children;  no 
longer  poor  and  lonely.  His  greatest  fear  was  of  his 
brother,  Esau.  When  he  was  near  home  Esau  marched 
out  to  meet  him,  but,  far  from  coming  as  a  foe,  he  wel- 
comed and  embraced  Jacob  as  a  brother.  So  Esau 
forgave  the  great  wrong  that  Jacob  had  done  to  him. 

Jacob  finally  reached  the  home  of  his  father, 
Isaac,  in  safety.  On  the  way  another  heavy  trial  befell 
him.  His  best  beloved  wife,  Rachel,  died  on  the  jour- 
ney when  they  were  nearly  at  its  end.  Esau  and  Jacob 
had  changed  greatly  as  they  grew  older.  Each  was 
more  tender  and  loving;  each  was  kinder  and  had 
more  respect  for  the  feelings  of  others.  Through  pain 
and  sorrow,  through  sin  and  suffering,  our  charac- 
ters are  often  softened  and  moulded  better. 

63 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  special  purpose  of  this  lesson? 
Explain  your  answer. 

2.  How  was  Jacob  deceived  by  Laban?     How 
did  Jacob  try  to  overcome  the  deceit  and  obtain  his 
wishes  ? 

3.  (a)  What  circumstances  in  Jacob's  own  life 
must  have  been  recalled  to  him  by  Laban's  deception. 

(b)  Which  seems  worse — Jacob's  deception 
towards  Isaac  or  Laban's  deception?    Why? 

4.  When  and  why  did  Jacob  want  to  return  to 
his  own  land  ? 

5.  What  were  God's  words  to  Jacob?    How  did 
Jacob  obey  ? 

6.  What    must    have    been    some    of    Jacob's 
thoughts  and  feelings  on  the  return  journey? 

7.  How  would  you  explain  to  a  child  the  two 
journeys  of  Jacob?     How  would  you  illustrate  the 
subject? 

8.  When  Jacob  approached  the  land  in  which 
Esau  dwelt  how  did  he  feel ?    How  did  he  act? 

9.  In  what  spirit  did  Esau  finally  meet  Jacob? 
What  change  did  this  show  in  Esau's  feelings  ? 

10.  What  moral  would  you  draw  for  the  children 
from  this  lesson  of  the  later  life  of  Jacob? 


64 


Lesson  VI 
Life  of  Joseph    (1) 


65 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lesson  VI—Life  of  Joseph,  (1) 

Special  Topic — Boyhood  of  Joseph. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson — To  show  the  necessity  of  love 
and  forbearance  between  members  of  a  family. 

Memory  Gem — "The  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  in 
every  place  beholding  the  evil  and  the  good."  (Prov. 
XV  :3). 

Bible  References— Genesis  XXXVII. 

Books— "Boys  of  the  Bible,"  Lady  Magnus. 
Jewish  Encyclopedia,  "Joseph." 

Pictures— "Joseph  Sold  by  His  Brethren,"  Wilde 
368.  "Joseph  Cast  Into  the  Pit,"  Tissot.  "Despair  of 
Joseph,"  Wilde  370. 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

SUGGESTIONS  TO  THE  TEACHER   . 

The  story  of  Joseph  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
in  the  Bible.  It  is  dramatic  in  its  incidents  and  full 
of  feeling.  It  plays  upon  every  emotion  of  the  human 
soul. 

The  story  is  so  essentially  human.  The  narrative 
moves  along  easily  and  naturally,  the  sequences  occur 
in  such  logical  order  that  the  children  easily  compre- 
hend a  great  deal  of  the  plot  and  follow  out  the  tale 
with  keen  interest  to  the  end.  This  story  is  usually 
a  great  favorite  with  the  children. 

To  teach  the  lesson  properly  the  teacher  should 
read  carefully  the  whole  history  of  Joseph  (Genesis 

67 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

37-50)  in  order  to  be  thoroughly  posted  on  its  details, 
to  be  saturated  with  its  spirit  and  filled  with  its 
language,  and  in  order  to  be  able  to  reproduce  its 
very  atmosphere  in  retelling  the  narrative.  Besides  the 
Biblical  account,  the  teacher  is  referred,  for  the  Mid- 
rashic  Stories  of  Joseph,  to  "Legends  of  the  Jews" 
by  Ginzberg,  Vol.  II,  and  the  article  on  "Joseph"  in 
Jewish  Encyclopedia.  The  first  lesson  will  naturally 
deal  with  the  boyhood  of  Joseph. 

As  the  story  is  such  a  long  one,  it  need  not  be 
told  in  all  its  details.  Let  the  teacher  be  careful, 
however,  to  use  every  salient  feature.  The  Biblical 
narrative  is  such  a  perfect  piece  of  literary  workman- 
ship, therefore  lest  it  be  marred  or  ruined,  keep  care- 
fully every  connecting  link  in  the  narrative,  and  build 
the  story  up  gradually,  unfolding  the  plot  artistically 
as  the  Biblical  writer  has  evolved  it 

APPLICATION 

Show  the  workings  of  God  throughout  the  life  of 
Joseph.  Trace  the  wonderful  events  which  led  from 
palace  to  prison.  It  will  not  be  necessary  for  the 
children  to  learn  the  list  of  the  twelve  sons  of  Jacob. 
Tell  them  only  the  names  of  those  who  play  the  major 
parts  in  the  great  drama.  Remember  Reuben,  the 
eldest  brother,  tries  to  protect  Joseph.  Judah,  too, 
has  a  kindly  feeling  towards  his  younger  brother. 
Indeed,  nothing  more  eloquent  or  self-sacrificing  can 
be  found  in  Holy  Writ  than  Judah's  pathetic  appeal 
to  Joseph  in  behalf  of  Benjamin.  Of  course,  Benja- 
min, the  youngest,  Joseph's  own  brother,  figures  largely 
in  the  narrative.  It  would  be  useless  to  burden  young 
children  with  the  other  eight  names.  They  may  learn 
these  names  when  grown.  Do  not  hesitate  to  repeat 
the  dreams  as  they  occur  and  are  narrated.  Children 

68 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

delight  in  such  repetitions.  The  dreams  make  the 
story  more  comprehensible.  Pupils  learn  it  better 
through  such  repetition.  The  dreams  make  the  story 
more  attractive  to  them.  Similar  instances  of  the 
effect  of  repetition  are  to  be  found  in  nursery  tales 
that  are  the  greatest  favorites,  such  as  "The  Three 
Bears,"  "Rumpelstilkin,"  "The  House  that  Jack  Built" 
and  "The  Dame  and  the  Cat."  In  all  of  these  there 
is  constant  repetition  of  the  jingle  of  the  story. 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

Commence  the  lesson  by  reviewing  what  the  chil- 
dren have  learned  about  Jacob's  separation  from 
Laban.  They  will  remember  that  Jacob  takes  his  wives 
and  children,  his  herds  and  flocks,  and  starts  on  a 
journey.  Call  attention  to  the  River  Jordan  over 
which  he  crossed. 

We  remember  that  Jacob  was  cheated  into  marry- 
ing Leah  and  that  Rachel  was  his  favorite  wife. 
Naturally  her  children  were  his  favorites  also.  Jo- 
seph, Rachel's  first  child,  was  Jacob's  favorite  son 
always. 

Rachel's  other  son,  Benjamin,  was  born  on  the 
journey  from  Bethel  to  Ephrath,  and  there  Rachel 
died.  Joseph  had  eleven  brothers.  It  was  quite  a  large 
family,  and  you  may  be  sure  the  boys  had  a  good  time 
playing  together. 

Ask  the  children  to  tell  some  of  the  games  and 
sports  of  those  days.  Archery  was  a  favorite  pas- 
time. All  these  events  occurred  before  the  days  of 
pistols  and  guns.  Skill  with  bow  and  arrow  and  the 
sword  was  considered  necessary.  Sometimes  the 
brothers  were  not  happy  because  of  jealousy  due  to 
Jacob's  unwise  favoritism.  As  Joseph  grew  up  he 

69 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

became  a  handsome  youth.  The  Bible  tells  us  he  was 
"well  favored."  This  fact  may  also  have  excited 
envy. 

PRESENTATION 

Now  that  Joseph's  mother  was  dead,  his  father 
grew  to  love  him  more  and  more.  He  made  for  him 
a  coat  of  many  colors.  Some  people  think  this  coat 
was  made  of  the  skins  of  wild  beasts.  Some  think 
it  was  dyed  in  bright  colors.  If  possible,  show  a  leaf 
or  picture  of  the  variegated  plant  called  "Joseph's 
Coat." 

We  may  be  sure  that  the  coat  was  beautiful; 
and  when  he  wore  it,  it  distinguished  Joseph  above 
all  the  other  boys.  He  would  then  naturally  feel  proud 
and  perhaps  would  act  proudly.  The  feeling  of  jeal- 
ousy thus  grew  stronger  among  the  brothers.  They 
hated  the  sight  of  Joseph  and  his  pretty  coat.  One 
night,  Joseph  dreamt  a  strange  dream,  and  the  next 
morning  he  told  his  father  and  brothers  all  about  it. 
(Genesis  XXXVII  :  6,  7,  8.)  "And  he  said  unto 
diem,  Hear  I  pray  you,  this  dream  which  I  have 
dreamed.  For  behold,  we  were  binding  sheaves  in 
the  field,  and  lo!  my  sheaf  arose  and  also  stood  up- 
right, and  behold  your  sheaves  stood  around  about 
and  made  obeisance  to  my  sheaf."  His  brothers  were 
angry,  but  his  father  was  rather  pleased  and  proud  of 
his  favorite  son.  Another  night  Joseph  dreamed  again. 
This  time  he  dreamt  that  the  sun,  moon  and  even  the 
stars  bowed  down  to  him  (Genesis  XXXVII  :9). 
Quote  it  from  the  Bible. 

His  brothers  were  very  angry,  and  even  his  father 
rebuked  him  and  said :  "What  is  this  dream  that  thou 
hast  dreamed  ?  Shall  I  and  thy  mother  and  thy  breth- 
ren indeed  come  to  bow  ourselves  to  thee,  to  the 
earth?"  (Genesis  XXXVII  :  10). 

70 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

The  teacher  must  make  the  children  realize  that 
in  the  Bible  times  the  people  were  greatly  influenced 
by  dreams  and  wise  men  were  employed  to  interpret 
their  meanings.  God  did  sometimes  reveal  himself  in 
dreams.  Tell  the  children  to  remember  these  dreams 
of  Joseph  and  to  notice  how  many  years  after,  they 
came  true. 

Some  time  after  Joseph  had  these  two  dreams 
his  father  sent  his  older  brothers  to  feed  the  flocks 
and  herds,  for  his  brothers  were  shepherds.  Some 
days  passed  and  there  was  no  report  from  them.  Then 
Jacob  said  to  Joseph  (Genesis  XXXVII:  13):  "Do 
not  thy  brethren  feed  the  flocks  in  Shechem?  Come 
and  I  will  send  thee  unto  them." 

Joseph  was  a  young  boy  and  was  not  accustomed 
to  being  sent  so  far  from  home,  so  he  felt  very  proud 
of  his  errand.  He  dressed  himself  and  put  on  his 
pretty  coat  and  said  good-bye  to  his  father.  How 
little  either  father  or  son  realized  then  that  they  would 
not  see  each  other  again  until  many,  many  years  had 
passed,  until  Jacob  had  become  an  old,  sorrowful  man, 
and  until  Joseph  had  grown  to  be  a  great,  good  and 
powerful  man.  We  never  know  in  life  what  will 
happen  to  us. 

Joseph  went  along  gaily,  enjoying  his  little  trip. 
At  last  he  found  his  brothers.  Omit  the  incident  that 
they  had  changed  their  pasture  ground.  It  is  unim- 
portant. The  story  is  so  long,  as  was  said  above,  that 
only  the  salient  points  are  to  be  told. 

When  his  brothers  saw  Joseph  coming  from  afar, 
they  were  angry  that  their  father  had  sent  him.  They 
thought:  "Here  comes  the  pet."  They  said  to  one 
another :  "Behold  the  dreamer  cometh."  Joseph  wore 
his  pretty  coat  and  this  aroused  their  worst  feelings 
of  anger  and  jealousy.  These  cruel,  envious  brothers 

71 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades— II. 

talked  together  and  planned  to  get  rid  of  Joseph.  They 
even  went  so  far  as  to  make  plans  to  kill  Joseph, 
but  Reuben,  the  eldest,  said  he  would  not  allow  them 
to  do  so.  He  suggested  that  they  put  him  into  a  dry 
pit.  Reuben  thought  that  when  the  other  brothers 
had  moved  on  he  could  take  Joseph  out  and  send  him 
safely  home  to  his  father.  The  wicked  brothers 
stripped  off  Joseph's  coat  and  cast  him  into  the  pit. 

The  teacher  here  must  dwell  on  the  evils  of 
jealousy  and  anger,  pointing  out  to  what  sins  and 
sorrows  these  evils  will  lead.  Read  to  the  class  Genesis 
XXXVII  :  18-35.  The  story  is  beautifully  and  simply 
told  and  will  need  only  a  few  words  to  make  it  com- 
prehensible. 

Reuben  is  defeated  in  accomplishing  his  end, 
because  the  brothers,  anxious  to  get  rid  of  Joseph, 
actually  sold  him  to  some  travelling  merchants.  Tell 
how  horrible  a  deed  this  was,  selling  their  own  flesh 
and  blood.  We  sell  horses,  dogs  and  merchandise  of 
all  kinds,  but  in  olden  times,  and  even  in  recent  years, 
human  beings  were  also  bought  and  sold  into  slavery. 
Explain  slavery.  Some  pupils  may  have  heard  that 
the  negroes  were  once  slaves  in  the  United  States. 
To  sell  one's  own  brother  was  so  cruel,  one  cannot 
conceive  of  a  worse  thing. 

God  watched  over  Joseph  all  this  time.  God 
watches  over  all  of  us.  We  cannot  understand  His 
ways.  Years  afterwards,  we  sometimes  see  the  great 
good  which  comes  from  what  seems  cruel  and  wrong. 
So  God  made  all  of  this  come  to  pass  in  the  life  of 
Joseph  for  two  reasons.  First,  Joseph  through  this 
great  trouble  was  to  grow  to  be  one  of  the  noblest  men 
that  ever  lived.  Through  his  goodness  and  wisdom 
he  was  to  be  the  means  of  helping  not  only  his  own 

72 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

family,  but  many  families  in  the  great  land  of  Egypt, 
the  land  into  which  he  was  carried  as  a  slave. 

Another  reason  by  which  we  can  clearly  see  why 
all  these  events  occurred,  was  that  through  the  conse- 
quence of  this  wrong  act,  in  years  after,  the  brothers 
also  grew  to  be  better  and  kinder  men.  We  must 
profit  by  these  warnings  of  evil  and  learn  to  love  and 
to  do  the  right. 

After  the  brothers  had  sold  Joseph,  Reuben 
returned  and  looked  into  the  pit  and  was  amazed  to 
find  that  Joseph  was  not  in  it.  Then  the  brothers  told 
him  that  they  had  sold  Joseph.  He  was  much  grieved, 
but  now  that  the  deed  was  done  his  brothers  persuaded 
him  into  deceiving  the  old  father.  One  sin  invariably 
leads  to  others,  and  this  is  clearly  shown  in  the  story 
of  Joseph. 

Joseph's  brothers,  on  returning  home,  could  not 
say  merely  that  Joseph  had  not  met  them,  for  then 
Jacob  would  have  sent  forth  to  search  for  Joseph. 
With  great  cunning  they  killed  a  goat,  and  taking 
Joseph's  coat,  dipped  it  into  the  blood.  Then  they 
carried  the  coat  home  to  their  father  and  said :  "This 
we  have  found.  Know  now,  whether  it  be  thy  son's 
coat  or  not  ?"  This  was  surely  an  act  of  great  cruelty 
and  deceitfulness. 

Poor  old  Jacob  recognized  at  once  the  coat  which 
he  had  made  with  so  much  care  for  his  favorite  son. 
He  tore  his  clothes  and  cried  aloud  with  woe.  He 
thought  some  wild  beast  had  killed  Joseph.  The  Bible 
tells  us  that  he  grieved  and  wept  for  his  son  and  would 
not  be  comforted.  His  sons  and  daughter  tried  to 
cheer  him,  but  they  failed. 

The  brothers  must  have  felt  the  prickings  of  con- 
science. They  must  have  felt  worried  as  time  went 
on  and  no  news  was  heard  of  their  brother.  Years 

73 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

passed  by.  The  brothers  of  Joseph  married  and  had 
families  of  their  own  and  almost  forgot  Joseph.  At 
times,  when  danger  threatened  their  own  children,  then 
surely  they  must  have  thought  of  their  wrongdoings 
towards  their  brother.  Jacob  never  forgot.  He  would 
sit  and  think  of  Joseph  as  dead.  Although  he  loved 
Benjamin,  Joseph's  own  brother,  his  youngest  son, 
very  much,  he  never  ceased  to  grieve  for  his  beloved 
Joseph. 

Parents  may  have  many  children,  but  they  cannot 
lose  one  without  great  grief  and  they  never  forget 
the  lost  one.  He  is  always  kept  in  sacred  memory, 
deep  in  the  affection  of  their  hearts.  The  time  came 
when  the  brothers  felt  remorseful.  They  loved  their 
father,  and  when  they  had  children  of  their  own  they 
realized  all  the  anguish  they  had  inflicted  on  their 
father's  heart.  They  were  powerless  now  to  right  the 
dreadful  wrong.  It  is  always  very  difficult,  sometimes 
quite  impossible,  to  make  reparation  for  a  wrong  done, 
and  to  alleviate  the  sorrow  that  others  feel  because 
of  our  misdeeds. 

RESUME 

Joseph  was  one  of  a  large  family.  His  father 
loved  him  more  than  any  other  child.  This  partiality 
caused  much  trouble  to  both  father  and  son.  Their 
jealousy  led  his  brothers  to  wish  harm  to  Joseph,  and 
when  an  opportunity  presented  itself  they  did  him  a 
great  wrong.  But  God  in  His  omnipresence  and 
omniscience  causes  good  to  come  forth  out  of  evil. 
The  troubles  of  Joseph  made  him  one  of  the  best  and 
wisest  of  men,  and  remorse  changed  the  characters  of 
his  brothers  also.  Joseph  was  made  the  means  of 
saving  many  lives  in  the  land  of  Egypt  by  his  integrity, 
justice  and  faithfulness. 

74 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

Although  the  family  of  Jacob  was  finally  reunited, 
all  had  suffered  years  of  sorrow.  Jacob  had  suffered 
the  pangs  of  separation  from  his  beloved  son,  Joseph; 
and  Joseph  had,  for  many  years,  felt  a  natural  bitter- 
ness and  resentment  against  the  members  of  his  own 
family  from  whom  he  had  been  separated. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Cite  two  lessons  that  the  boyhood  of  Joseph 
should  teach  us. 

2.  What  kind  of  a  story  is  the  history  of  Joseph 
as  related  in  Genesis,  didactic  or  narrative?    Why? 

3.  Why  do  the  children  like  the  story  of  Joseph  ? 
Give  at  least  two  reasons. 

4.  Which  brothers  played  the    most    important 
part  in  the  early  life  of  Joseph?    How  did  their  atti- 
tude differ  from  that  of  the  other  brothers  ? 

5.  Relate  one  of  Joseph's  dreams  and  its  inter- 
pretation. 

6.  What  was  the  attitude  of  Joseph's  brothers 
towards  him?    Why? 

7.  In  what  two  ways  did  the  selling  of  Joseph 
finally  prove  a  benefit? 

8.  What  traits  of  Joseph's  character  as  a  boy 
are  to  be  extolled ?    Which  are  to  serve  as  warning? 

9.  Tell  how  you  would  explain  to  young  children 
the  error  of  Jacob,  in  being  partial  to  Joseph. 

10.  Write  in  your  own  words  a  resume  of  this 
lesson. 


75 


Lesson  VII 
Life  of  Joseph    (2) 


77 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades— -II. 


Lesson  VII— Life  of  Joseph,  (2) 

Special  Topic — From  Prison  to  Palace. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson — To  teach  that  although  cir- 
cumstances seemed  much  against  Joseph,  yet  God  was 
watching  over  him  all  the  time,  and  his  trials  were 
turned  into  blessings. 

Bible  References— Genesis  XXXIX,  XL,  XLI; 
Psalm  CXXI. 

Memory  Gem — "The  Lord  is  thy  Keeper." 
(Psalm  CXXI  :  5.)  "Unto  the  Lord,  when  I  was  in 
distress,  did  I  call,  and  He  hath  answered  me." 
(Psalm  CXX  :  1.) 

Pictures  —  "Joseph  Interpreting  Pharaoh's 
Dream."  Wilde  371.  "Joseph  and  Pharaoh's 
Dream."  Wilde  570. 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

Point  of  Contact — The  children  were  told  in  the 
previous  lesson  that  Joseph's  brothers  sold  him  to 
merchants  who  were  going  down  into  Egypt.  The 
teacher  should  show,  on  a  large  map,  where  Egypt 
is  located,  so  that  the  children  may  see  that  Joseph 
went  on  a  long  journey.  Let  the  teacher  tell  about 
a  slave  market.  Refer  to  the  fact  that  years  ago,  in 
our  own  country,  the  negroes  were  slaves  in  the  United 
States,  and  how  they  were  bought  and  sold.  Families 
were  often  separated  by  the  cruel  system  of  selling 
the  various  members  in  different  cities.  Sometimes 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

it  is  hard  to  work,  even  though  we  get  paid  for  it. 
The  slaves  had  to  work  and  received  no  pay.  Often 
their  masters  were  very  cruel  and  treated  them  like 
brutes  instead  of  like  human  beings.  How  sad,  de- 
pressed and  discouraged  Joseph  must  have  felt  when 
he  found  he  had  been  sold  as  a  slave !  But  Joseph  was 
full  of  courage,  and  resolved  not  to  hate  his  brothers 
for  their  cruelty.  He  resolved  always  to  trust  in 
God.  He  determined  to  be  true  to  himself,  cheerful 
and  trustworthy. 

It  is  always  well  to  make  the  best  of  circum- 
stances, not  to  grumble  and  grieve,  but  to  try  to  forget 
one's  own  troubles  in  helping  others.  This  is  the 
unselfish  way  of  living.  Enlarge  upon  this  idea.  Get 
examples  of  unselfishness,  if  possible,  from  the  pupils. 
A  mother  may  lose  a  child.  She  is  grief-stricken,  yet 
her  love  will  often  make  her  kinder  to  all  other  chil- 
dren. She  will  forget  her  grief  in  trying  to  help  other 
mothers  keep  their  children  healthy  and  happy. 

PRESENTATION 

When  the  merchants  went  down  to  Egypt,  they 
sold  Joseph  to  Potiphar,  an  officer  of  King  Pharaoh. 
Explain  here,  in  order  to  avoid  later  confusion,  that 
Pharaoh  is  not  the  real  name,  but  merely  the  title 
of  a  dynasty  of  rulers. 

Long  after  Joseph  was  dead,  in  the  time  of 
Moses,  we  read  of  "Pharaoh."  Of  course,  it  could  not 
be  the  same  man  of  whom  we  are  speaking.  Pharaoh's 
officer,  Potiphar,  became  fond  of  Joseph,  and  gave  him 
a  post  of  responsibility.  On  the  basis  of  a  charge  that 
he  was  faithless  to  his  trusts,  Potiphar's  wife  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  Joseph  into  trouble.  He  was  put  into 
prison,  although  he  was  innocent  of  all  wrongdoing. 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

One  evil  person  has  it  in  his  power  to  hurt  many 
other  persons.  A  sin,  or  wrong  action,  always  affects 
more  than  one  person. 

But  even  in  prison  Joseph  did  not  lose  his  cour- 
age and  his  faith  in  God.  By  his  good  behavior  he 
obtained  favor  with  the  keeper  of  the  prison.  The 
keeper  soon  found  out  that  Joseph  was  reliable  and 
could  be  trusted.  So  he  made  Joseph  his  assistant  in 
taking  care  of  the  other  prisoners.  Joseph  thus  had 
considerable  freedom,  but  it  never  occurred  to  him  to 
take  advantage  of  his  favored  position  or  to  violate  his 
trust.  No  matter  in  what  position  we  are  placed,  by 
being  brave  and  doing  our  duty,  we  can  prove  that  we 
can  be  trusted.  A  careful  boy  or  girl  can  be  trusted 
to  take  care  of  the  baby.  But  a  mother  would  never 
trust  a  careless  girl  or  boy  with  her  precious  child. 
The  teacher  soon  finds  out  which  pupils  may  be  relied 
upon  and  may  be  trusted. 

Ask  questions.  Find  out  from  the  children  what 
they  must  do  to  become  trustworthy.  Tell  some  other 
instances  of  a  similar  nature  which  can  be  easily 
comprehended  by  young  people.  It  takes  a  careful 
driver  to  be  trusted  with  horses.  A  careless  chauffeur 
should  not  be  permitted  to  run  an  automobile. 

Among  the  prisoners  there  were  two  servants  of 
the  king;  his  butler  and  his  baker.  (Explain  the 
duties  of  each.)  A  legend  tells  us  that  the  butler  was 
put  into  prison  because  a  fly  had  been  found  in  the 
king's  wine.  The  baker  had  been  put  into  prison 
because  stones  were  in  the  king's  bread.  Ask  the 
children  which  seemed  worse?  A  fly  might  by  acci- 
dent drop  into  our  food  or  drink.  Stones  must  have 
been  placed  into  the  bread  by  design.  Explain  the 
innocence  of  the  butler  and  the  guilt  of  the  baker. 
One  morning  Joseph  noticed  that  the  butler  and  the 

81 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

baker  looked  very  sad.  He  forgot  his  own  troubles 
and  inquired  about  theirs.  The  true  spirit  of  goodness 
is  to  forget  self  by  trying  to  help  others.  This  often 
causes  us  to  become  oblivious  of  our  own  pains  and 
sorrows.  When  the  butler  and  baker  told  Joseph  their 
perplexity  he  offered  to  help  them  by  explaining  their 
dreams.  In  the  last  lesson  you  were  told  the  impor- 
tance attached  to  dreams  in  olden  times.  This  story 
shows  it  clearly.  Relate  the  butler's  dream.  (Gen- 
esis XL  :  8-11.)  Then  tell  the  meaning  of  the  12th 
and  13th  verses.  Relate  the  baker's  dream  and  its 
meaning.  (Genesis  XL  :  16-22.)  Joseph  told  the  but- 
ler of  his  own  hard  life ;  that  he,  too,  was  innocent  of 
crime  and  was  unjustly  imprisoned.  Joseph  told  him 
also  how  he  had  been  sold  from  his  own  land  and 
people.  He  begged  the  butler  to  remember  him  when 
the  butler  would  be  restored  to  his  place  and  again 
would  serve  wine  in  the  palace.  The  butler  promised 
to  do  so.  (Chapter  XL:  14-15.) 

When  we  are  in  trouble  we  often  make  many 
promises,  but  when  the  trouble  is  over,  alas!  we  too 
often  forget  our  promises.  We  forget  even  those 
who  have  helped  us.  Poor  people  often  say :  "Oh,  if 
I  were  rich,  how  liberal  I  would  be!"  They  may 
become  rich,  but  many  soon  forget  that  they  were  once 
poor,  and  they  do  not  perform  the  promised  char- 
itable deeds  to  their  more  unfortunate  brethren. 
Dwell  on  the  sacredness  of  a  promise.  We  must, 
under  all  circumstances,  keep  our  word  and  fulfill 
our  promises. 

Events  came  to  pass  just  as  Joseph  had  foretold. 
The  butler  was  restored  to  office  and  the  baker  was 
hanged.  (Genesis  XL  :  20-23.)  The  butler,  when 
taken  again  to  the  palace,  forgot  all  about  Joseph  in 
prison,  until  one  night  two  years  later,  when  the 

82 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

king  dreamt  two  strange  dreams  that  no  one,  not 
even  the  wise  men,  could  interpret.  (Chapter  XLI  : 
1-8.)  Then  the  butler's  memory  was  suddenly  stirred 
and  his  promise  made  to  Joseph  in  prison  returned  to 
him,  and  he  said:  "Then  spoke  the  chief  of  the 
butlers  unto  Pharaoh,  saying,  My  faults  I  must  call  to 
remembrance  this  day,"  etc.  (Genesis  XLI :  9-13.) 

Joseph  must  have  felt  very  unhappy,  waiting 
these  two  long  years.  Perhaps  every  day  he  expected 
that  the  butler  would  remember  him  and  try  to  get 
him  released  from  prison.  While  he  was  waiting  he 
continued  to  perform  all  of  his  duties  faithfully.  God 
did  not  forget  Joseph.  "The  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  in 
every  place,  beholding  the  evil  and  the  good."  Joseph 
thought  that  to  be  a  free  man  would  be  all  that  he 
wanted.  But  God  was  working  in  His  own  wise  way  to 
make  Joseph  fit  for  a  very  high  place  in  the  affairs  of 
that  country.  "Then  Pharaoh,  the  king,  sent  and  had 
Joseph  called,  and  they  brought  him  hastily  out  of  the 
dungeon  .  .  .  and  (he)  came  in  to  Pharaoh." 
(Genesis  XLI:  14-16.) 

And  Pharoah  said  unto  Joseph :  "I  have  dreamed 
a  dream,  and  there  is  none  that  can  interpret  it,  and  I 
have  heard  said  of  thee,  that  thou  canst  understand  a 
dream  to  interpret  it."  Notice  how  humble  Joseph  was 
in  his  reply.  He  did  not  say:  "Oh,  yes,  I  can 
explain  dreams.  I  know  all  about,  them."  He  said : 
"It  is  not  in  me,  but  God  will  give  an  answer  for  the 
peace  of  Pharaoh."  (Genesis  XLI  :  17.)  Joseph 
knew  that  he  could  not  explain  the  meaning  of  Pha- 
roah's  dreams  unaided,  but  that  with  God's  help  he 
could  do  anything.  So  Joseph  prayed  to  God  to  help 
him  understand  the  import  of  the  dreams  of  the  king. 
Then  the  king  told  his  dreams  to  Joseph.  Relate  the 
dreams  again  in  Genesis  XLI  :  17-24.  Tell  Joseph's 

83 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

interpretation.  (Genesis  XLI  :  25-32.)  Besides  tell- 
ing the  meaning  of  the  dreams,  Joseph  advises  Pha- 
roah  what  to  do  to  avert  the  great  misfortune  which 
would  attend  the  famine.  Explain  what  a  famine 
means.  Tell  how  much  suffering  it  always  causes. 
Some  countries,  even  nowadays,  suffer  from  famine. 
Some  years  ago  there  was  a  famine  in  Russia,  and 
the  people  of  the  United  States  sent  several  ships 
loaded  with  grain,  barley,  wheat,  rice  and  canned  goods 
to  prevent  the  Russians  from  starving. 

Joseph  tells  Pharaoh  (Genesis  XLI  :  34-37)  that 
he  must  store  up  great  quantities  of  food  in  large  ware- 
houses and  keep  it  until  the  time  of  the  famine,  be- 
cause there  would  be  no  crops  and  then  the  people 
would  be  in  danger  of  starving.  He  told  the  King 
that  during  each  of  the  seven  years  of  plenty  part  of 
the  grain  must  be  stored  away  to  provide  for  the 
seven  years  of  famine. 

Pharaoh  thought  the  advice  good.  He  knew  of 
no  one  who  seemed  as  wise  as  Joseph.  He  asked 
Joseph,  therefore,  to  take  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the 
country.  (Genesis  XLI  :  38-49.)  Joseph  accepted  the 
position.  What  a  wonderful  outcome,  after  all  of 
Joseph's  trials !  This  rise  from  prison  to  palace !  It 
reads  almost  like  a  fairy  tale.  Truth  is  stranger  than 
fiction. 

The  children  can  now  realize  why  God  allowed 
Joseph  to  stay  in  prison  so  long.  Here  Joseph  learned 
to  rule  and  govern  others.  Here  he  also  learned  the 
still  greater  lesson  to  govern  himself.  He  thus  became 
fitted  to  be  a  head  of  a  great  nation,  second  in  power 
to  the  king  only.  "And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph,  See, 
I  have  set  thee  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  And 
Pharaoh  took  off  his  ring  from  his  hand,  and  put  it 
upon  Joseph's  hand  and  arrayed  him  in  vestures  of 

84 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

fine  linen,  and  put  a  golden  chain  about  his  neck." 
Pharaoh  conferred  many  honors  upon  Joseph,  who  so 
recently  had  been  but  a  despised  prisoner. 

Describe  the  busy  time  in  Egypt  during  the  next 
seven  years.  The  people  gathered  in  very  large  crops. 
(Genesis  XLI  :  47-49.)  And  Joseph  went  through  the 
land  to  see  that  a  sufficient  part  of  all  the  crops  was 
gathered  up  and  put  away  for  the  time  of  famine, 
which  God  said  would  follow  the  years  of  plenty. 

Joseph's  predictions  were  indeed  realized.  After 
seven  years  of  plenty  the  crops  were  blighted  and 
nothing  at  all  ripened.  There  were  no  harvests  in  the 
land.  Then  Pharaoh  realized  that  God  had,  indeed, 
helped  Joseph  to  interpret  the  dream  and  to  tell  truth- 
fully just  what  the  dreams  had  meant. 

In  all  the  surrounding  countries  the  famine  was 
bad  also,  and  no  food  had  been  stored  up  in  other 
places.  Only  in  Egypt  had  provision  been  made  for 
the  dearth  of  crops.  The  people  of  surrounding  coun- 
tries came  to  buy  food ;  and  as  Joseph  sold  it  to  them 
at  high  prices,  Pharaoh  became  very  rich. 

This  is  a  proper  ending  for  this  part  of  the  story. 
The  coming  of  the  brothers  into  Egypt  will  be  told  in 
the  next  lesson. 

RESUME 

God  sees  everything,  whether  it  be  in  a  palace  or 
in  a  prison.  God  took  care  of  Joseph  all  the  time  he 
was  in  prison,  until  Joseph  learned  many  lessons  from 
his  trouble.  Ask  what  lessons  Joseph  learned.  When 
God  saw  that  Joseph  was  fit  for  prosperity  He  raised 
him  from  prison  life  to  the  exalted  position  of  the 
viceroy  of  Egypt. 

85 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Explain  how  you  would  make  the  Point  of 
Contact  with  the  preceding  lesson. 

2.  How  is  the  Memory  Gem,  "The  Lord  is  Thy 
Keeper,"  especialy  applicable  to  this  lesson? 

3.  What  lesson  is  to  be  drawn  from  Joseph's 
relations  to  his  companions  in  prison? 

4.  What  noble  trait  does  Joseph's  conduct  in 
prison  exemplify  ? 

5.  Give  some  instance  not  found  in  the  lesson 
in  which  faithfulness  is  rewarded. 

6.  Give  some  Biblical  instance  not  in  the  life  of 
Joseph. 

7.  How  should  we  regard  a  promise  ? 

8.  What  is  your  opinion  of  promises  made  to 
children  ?    Explain  the  reason  for  your  reply. 

9.  Contrast  the  life  of  Joseph  in  prison  with  his 
life  in  the  palace. 

10.  Explain  why  and  how  the  trial  of  Joseph 
helped  him  to  fill  better  the  exalted  position  to  which 
he  was  promoted. 


86 


Lesson  VIII 
Life  of  Joseph    (3) 


87 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lesson  VIII-Life  of  Joseph,  (3) 

Special  Topic— Jacob  and  his  Family  go  Into 
Egypt. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson — To  show  the  love  of  God  for 
all  His  children  and  to  demonstrate  His  care  for  us  at 
all  times  and  in  all  places. 

Memory  Gem — "He  raiseth  up  the  poor  put  of  the 
dust;  and  exalteth  the  needy,  from  his  lowliness  that 
He  may  set  him  with  princes.  Even  with  the  princes 
of  his  people."  Psalm  CXIII  :  7  and  8. 

Bible  References — Genesis,  Chapter  XLII,  XLIII, 
XLIV,  XLV,  XLVI,  XLVII,  XLVIII,  L:  15-22; 
Psalm  CXIII  and  CXXI. 

Pictures — Wilde  606,  "Cup  found  in  Benjamin's 
sack."  Wilde  372,  "The  Meeting  of  Joseph  and  his 
Brethren." 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

The  events  of  the  story  of  Joseph  are  so  closely 
related  and  follow  in  such  logical  sequence  that  there 
are  few  gaps  to  be  filled.  It  is  merely  necessary  to 
review  the  previous  lesson  to  be  sure  that  the  children 
are  ready  to  proceed  with  the  narrative. 

Ask  the  children  to  recall  a  time  when  they  felt 
very,  very  hungry  and  had  to  wait.  In  times  of 
famine  people  get  very  hungry  and  there  is  no  food  for 
them  to  eat.  Thousands  die  of  hunger.  How  dread- 
ful this  appears  to  us ! 

The  famine  was  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  There 
were  no  crops  growing.  We  know  how  the  wise 

89 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

Joseph  had  made  provisions  for  this  state  of  affairs 
which  he  foresaw  would  occur.  The  famine  spread 
through  other  countries  also.  It  spread  through  the 
land  of  Canaan.  Point  out  these  places  on  the  map. 
We  have  heard  of  the  wonderful  events  which  hap- 
pened to  Joseph  in  Egypt,  but  in  the  meantime  we 
have  not  heard  anything  about  Jacob  and  his  sons. 

Events  were  going  along  without  special  moment 
in  Canaan.  Jacob  had  grown  to  be  an  old  man,  but 
he  had  never  forgotten  his  favorite  son,  Joseph.  He 
still  grieved  for  Joseph,  and  often  he  would  sit  and 
think  of  his  lost  dear  child.  The  brothers'  consciences 
must  have  pricked  them  greatly.  The  brothers  must 
have  felt  great  remorse  when  they  saw  their  father's 
grief.  They  now  had  children  of  their  own.  They 
could  sympathize  with  Jacob.  They  knew  how  badly 
he  must  have  felt  over  the  loss  of  his  favorite  son. 
They  tried  to  comfort  him,  but  in  vain.  Jacob  had 
the  deepest  affection  for  Benjamin,  for  he,  too,  was 
Rachel's  child,  Joseph's  own  brother.  Although  Jacob 
showed  in  many  ways  favoritism  to  Benjamin,  the 
brothers  were  not  as  jealous  of  him  as  they  had  been 
of  Joseph.  Their  hearts  had  softened.  They  had, 
indeed,  become  better,  kinder,  more  loving  and  for- 
bearing men. 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

Jacob,  his  sons  and  their  families  were  suffering 
by  reason  of  the  famine  in  the  land.  They  had  very 
little  food  to  eat.  Jacob  had  heard  that  there  was 
food  in  Egypt,  so  he  said  to  his  sons :  "Why  do  you 
look  on  one  another?  Behold,  I  have  heard  that  there 
is  corn  in  Egypt;  get  you  down  thither  and  buy  for  us 
from  thence;  that  we  may  live  and  not  die."  (Genesis 
-5.) 

90 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

Notice  that  although  the  brothers  were  married 
men,  they  obeyed  their  father.  They  clung  together. 
They  did  not  resent  the  fact  that  their  father  would 
not  allow  his  own  favorite  son,  Benjamin,  to  go  with 
them  on  the  journey,  which  might,  perhaps,  have 
proved  a  dangerous  one. 

The  brothers  arrived  safely  in  Egypt.  So  many 
strange  men  coming  together  were  looked  upon  with 
suspicion.  Joseph's  brothers  were  therefore  carried 
before  Joseph.  He  knew  his  brothers  at  once.  Imag- 
ine what  mixed  feelings  he  must  have  had  when  he 
beheld  them.  Immediately  he  wondered  whether  his 
father  was  still  alive,  and  yearned  to  learn  about  his 
dear  brother,  Benjamin.  Oh,  how  he  longed  to  talk 
to  them,  to  reveal  his  own  identity!  But  no!  He 
stifled  his  own  feelings.  He  resolved  to  find  out 
whether  his  brothers  were  still  as  cruel,  jealous  and 
evil  minded  as  they  had  been  when  he  last  saw  them 
and  when  they  had  sold  him  into  slavery. 

How  earnestly  he  hoped  that  they  had  improved ! 
How  anxious  he  was  that  they  should  stand  the  test 
with  which  he  quickly  decided  to  try  them.  Joseph 
was  dressed  in  the  elegant  robes  of  an  Egyptian  prince. 
He  was  a  ruler  in  a  great  land.  Naturally,  his  brothers 
did  not  recognize  in  him  their  miserable  brother,  the 
shepherd  lad,  whom  they  had  so  cruelly  wronged. 

Joseph  was  very  gruff  to  his  brothers.  He  ac- 
cused them  of  being  spies.  They  denied  the  charge 
and  said:  "Nay,  my  Lord,  but  to  buy  food  are  thy 
servants  come."  (Genesis  XLII :  6-17.) 

After  talking  for  some  time  with  them,  Joseph 
decided  to  hold  Simeon  as  hostage  until  they  would 
bring  Benjamin  down  to  him  in  Egypt.  (Read  XLII  : 
21-24.) 

91 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

How  strange  it  must  have  seemed  to  Joseph  to 
hear  his  brothers  talking  about  him!  He  knew  by 
their  words,  which  he  understood,  that  they  had  not 
forgotten  their  treatment  of  him. 

At  last  Joseph  agreed  to  sell  his  brothers  some 
corn,  but  told  them  that  they  need  never  come  down  to 
Egypt  again  to  buy  food,  unless  they  brought  their 
other  brother  with  them.  He  ordered  his  steward  to 
fill  their  sacks,  or  bags,  with  corn  and  to  put  back  the 
money  they  had  paid  him  into  their  sacks.  (In  using 
the  word  "sack"  be  sure  that  the  children  do  not  con- 
fuse it  with  "sacque,"  a  piece  of  clothing.  This  is  a 
frequent  and  natural  confusion  of  terms.) 

The  brothers  started  on  their  journey  homeward. 
They  talked  together  about  the  great  ruler  who  had 
been  so  rough  to  them.  When  they  reached  home  they 
related  all  about  their  journey  to  their  father,  Jacob. 

When  they  opened  their  sacks  and  emptied  out  the 
corn  they  were  surprised  and  a  little  frightened  to  see 
that  all  their  money  had  been  returned.  They  utterly 
failed  to  understand  it  all. 

Jacob  declared  that  Benjamin  should  never  leave 
him.  After  some  time,  Jacob,  his  sons  and  families 
had  eaten  up  all  the  corn  which  had  been  brought  from 
Egypt.  They  needed  food,  but  the  brothers  did  not 
want  to  suggest  going  again  to  Egypt. 

At  last  their  father  bade  them  go.  They  told  him 
how  useless  it  was  for  them  to  enter  Egypt  unless 
Benjamin  went  with  them,  for  the  ruler  of  the  land 
had  said  they  should  have  no  more  corn  unless  their 
youngest  brother  accompanied  them.  Jacob  could  not 
bear  to  let  Benjamin  go  out  of  his  sight.  Then  Judah 
said  he  would  be  responsible  for  Benjamin's  safe 
return.  (Read  Genesis  XLIII  :  1-5.) 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades— II. 

Contrast  this  speech  and  its  depth  of  feeling  with 
the  harsh  words  and  acts  used  by  the  brothers  years 
before  in  their  treatment  of  Joseph.  Notice  now  that 
Judah  was  willing  to  sacrifice  himself  and  his  own 
sons  for  the  welfare  of  the  others.  His  self-sacrificing 
spirit  at  length  prevailed.  Jacob  relented.  He  sent 
Benjamin  with  the  brothers  on  their  second  journey  to 
Egypt.  Joseph  was  filled  with  joy  when  he  saw  his 
own  brother,  Benjamin.  He  could  hardly  refrain  from 
embracing  him  and  revealing  himself  to  his  own 
brother.  But  he  did  not  yet  feel  sure  of  the  attitude  of 
his  brothers  toward  him.  He  decided  to  make  one 
more  test.  He  had  a  banquet  prepared  for  them,  and 
he  seated  them  in  the  order  of  their  ages.  The  broth- 
ers marveled  at  all  this.  They  thought  it  accidental. 
To  Benjamin,  Joseph  sent  extra  food  from  his  own 
table.  Then  Joseph  gave  them  permission  to  buy  corn, 
and  he  had  their  sacks  filled.  This  time  Joseph 
secretly  told  his  steward  to  hide  his  silver  cup  in  Ben- 
j  amin's  sack. 

The  brothers  had  not  gone  very  far  on  their  jour- 
ney when  the  steward  followed  them.  He  accused 
them  of  stealing  the  great  ruler's  cup.  They  protested 
and  resented  the  charge.  They  finally  agreed  to  be 
searched,  and  so  sure  were  they  of  their  own  innocence 
that  they  declared :  "Let  the  one  on  whom  the  cup  is 
found  be  put  to  death !"  The  sacks  of  each  one  were 
opened  in  the  order  of  the  brother's  ages.  Of  course, 
the  cup  was  not  found  in  the  first,  the  second  and 
others.  The  brothers  rejoiced,  until  when  the  last 
sack  was  opened;  lo!  in  Benjamin's  sack  the  missing 
cup  was  found.  The  brothers  were  mystified  and  hor- 
rified. They  wondered  whether  Benjamin  really  did 
steal  it.  However,  the  suspicion  and  selfishness  of 
former  days  no  longer  ruled  their  conduct.  They 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

resolved  to  protect  their  younger  brother.  Despite 
what  the  steward  said,  that  Benjamin  alone  should 
follow  him  to  Egypt,  they  all  returned  and  asked  to 
see  Joseph. 

They  told  him  again  the  story  of  their  family. 
(Genesis  XLIV  :4-34.)  Judah's  appeal  was  strik- 
ingly simple,  beautiful  and  pathetic.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  touching  petitions  in  Holy  Writ.  It  is  full  of 
love,  affection  and  pathos.  His  plea  to  Joseph  would 
have  softened  the  hardest  heart.  Joseph  could  not 
restrain  his  affections  any  longer.  His  heart  ached. 
He  yearned  to  make  himself  known  to  his  brothers. 
They  had  stood  the  tests  by  which  he  had  tried  them. 
He  now  knew  that  instead  of  being  selfish,  cruel  and 
jealous,  they  had  become  unselfish,  kind  and  self-sacri- 
ficing and  loving.  Joseph  was  thankful  and  grateful 
for  the  change  in  them.  He  sent  his  Egyptian  attend- 
ants from  the  room,  and  then  said  to  his  brothers: 
"Do  ye  not  know  me  ?  I  am  Joseph ;  doth  my  father 
yet  live?  (Genesis  XLV  :  1-4.)  He  wept  for  mingled 
grief  and  joy. 

We  can  well  imagine  the  incredulity  of  the  broth- 
ers when  first  they  are  startled  by  this  strange  revela- 
tion. This  feeling  quickly  gave  way  to  astonishment, 
then  to  fear.  Here  was  their  brother  whom  they  had 
so  cruelly  wronged.  He  was  a  ruler  in  Egypt.  They 
prostrated  themselves  in  humility  and  terror.  Joseph 
quickly  bade  them  rise.  He  embraced  them  all,  espe- 
cially Benjamin.  (Genesis  XLV  :4-13.)  He  asked 
again  after  his  old  father.  He  was  thankful  to  learn 
that  the  old  father  was  still  living.  He  was  eager  to 
go  at  once  to  see  his  father,  but  Joseph  could  not  leave 
his  post  of  duty  in  Egypt.  The  king  and  all  the  people 
depended  upon  him,  his  wisdom  and  knowledge  to  save 
them  from  starvation. 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

He  explained  to  his  brothers  that  there  would  be 
five  more  years  of  famine  and  that  food  would  grow 
scarcer  and  scarcer  as  these  five  years  went  by.  Joseph 
told  them  that  he  was  a  rich  man  and  he  would  take 
care  of  them  all.  He  would  provide  food  for  them 
and  their  families.  He  ordered  them  to  return  home, 
to  tell  their  father  that  he,  Joseph,  was  still  alive,  and 
that  he  sent  for  Jacob  and  all  of  his  household  to 
come  down  to  Egypt  to  live. 

Joseph  sent  gifts  to  his  father.  He  sent  wagons, 
too,  that  his  old  father,  his  brothers,  their  wives  and 
little  ones  might  ride,  for  it  was  a  long  journey. 

The  brothers  returned  home  to  Canaan.  They 
related  their  wonderful  tale  to  Jacob  and  confessed 
their  guilt  of  long  ago.  Poor  old  Jacob  was  confused 
at  first.  He  could  not  believe  the  strange  story.  He 
was  overjoyed  and  overcome  by  the  news.  He  doubted 
the  truth  of  it;  but  when  he  saw  all  the  gifts  Joseph 
had  sent  him  and  the  wagons  provided  for  his  journey 
he  exclaimed:  "Enough,  Joseph  my  son,  is  yet  alive, 
I  will  go  and  see  him  before  I  die."  (Genesis  XLV: 
28.) 

Jacob,  his  sons,  their  wives  and  families  all  went 
down  to  Egypt  together.  How  eager  they  must  have 
felt  to  reach  the  land  in  which  they  were  sure  of  safety 
and  plenty!  How  anxious  Jacob  was  to  see  his 
favorite  son ! 

Joseph  went  forth  to  meet  his  aged  father.  The 
Bible  tells  us  that  "Joseph  made  ready  a  chariot  and 
went  to  Goshen  to  meet  his  father.  When  Joseph  got 
in  sight  of  his  father,  Joseph  fell  on  his  neck  and  wept 
a  good  while."  (Genesis  XL VI :  29.) 

Pharaoh  was  very  glad  that  so  much  happiness 
had  befallen  his  favorite,  Joseph.  He  was  very  liberal, 
and  told  Joseph  to  give  his  family  the  land  of  Goshen 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

as  their  home  and  to  let  his  brothers  be  shepherds  in 
the  land  to  care  for  the  flocks  and  herds. 

When  Pharaoh  asked  to  see  Joseph's  father, 
Joseph  took  Jacob  to  see  Pharaoh.  What  a  beautiful 
scene  is  now  presented !  The  old  man  blessed  the  King 
of  Egypt. 

Jacob  lived  in  Goshen  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 
When  Jacob  died  the  brothers  thought  that  Joseph 
would  now  revenge  himself  on  them.  They  did  not 
yet  understand  the  wonderfully  noble  character  of 
Joseph.  He  assured  them  that  he  would  not  be  unkind 
to  them ;  told  them  that  he  had  forgiven  them  entirely 
and  that  they  must  believe  him. 

He  said:  "You  thought  for  evil  against  me  but 
God  meant  it  for  good.  Fear  not,  I  will  nourish  all 
of  you."  He  comforted  them  and  spoke  kindly  to  them. 
So  Joseph  and  his  brothers  lived  happily  in  the  land  of 
Goshen. 

RESUME 

Note  the  various  tests  to  which  Joseph  puts  his 
brothers.  Mark  how  they  were  willing  to  protect  Ben- 
jamin and  even  sacrifice  themselves  for  him.  Study 
the  touching  scene  in  which  Judah  pleads  before 
Joseph,  and  Joseph's  revelation  of  his  identity.  What 
a  beautiful  spirit  of  forgiveness  and  enduring  love 
Joseph  shows  his  brothers!  Joseph's  welcome  of  his 
aged  father  and  the  father's  blessing  of  a  potentate  are 
striking  incidents.  The  lesson  which  Joseph  taught 
his  brothers  after  his  father's  death,  that  seeming  mis- 
fortune is  often  a  blessing  in  disguise,  is  worth  being 
emphasized  and  illustrated. 


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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Contrast  the  life  of  Joseph  now  with  his 
early  days. 

2.  What  experiences  helped  to  develop  Joseph's 
character? 

3.  To  what  position  did  the  King  raise  him? 
What  reason  did  the  King  assign  for  this  ? 

4.  How  did  Joseph  treat  his  brothers  when  they 
came  down  to  Egypt  to  buy  corn?    State  the  reason 
that  prompted  his  conduct. 

5.  In  what  respects  had  the  brothers  changed 
since  the  time  when  they  had  sold  Joseph  in  their 
younger  days  ? 

6.  Why  did  Jacob  leave  Canaan?    Whither  did 
he  go?    Why? 

7.  Tell  how  Joseph  tried  his  brothers  in  order  to 
see  whether  they  had  grown  better.     Had  they  im- 
proved ?    Why  do  you  think  so  ? 

8.  Why  did  Joseph  have  the  cup  hidden  in  Ben- 
jamin's sack? 

9.  What  is  the  usual  result  of  partiality  on  the 
part  of  a  parent  towards  a  child?     Illustrate  your 
answer. 

10.  When  Joseph  made  himself  known  to  his 
brothers  how  did  they   feel?     Give  Joseph's   reply 
to  them. 


97 


Lesson  IX 
'Early  Life  of  Moses 


99 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lesson  IX— Early  Life  of  Moses 

Special  Topic — A  Boy  Saved  from  Death. 

Aim  of  Lesson — To  teach  implicit  trust  in  God 
and  unquestioning  obedience  to  His  commands. 

Memory  Gem — "I  lift  up  mine  eyes  to  the  moun- 
tains, whence  shall  come  my  help.  My  help  is  from 
the  Lord,  the  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth."  Psalm 
CXXI  :  1  and  2. 

Bible  References — Exodus  I,  II. 

Pictures— "Moses  and  The  Daughter  of  Pha- 
raoh," Wilde  377.  "Finding  of  Moses,"  Wilde  378. 

Song — One  of  the  traditional  songs  for  Passover 
sung  at  Seder  Service. 

SPECIAL  NOTE  TO  TEACHERS 

From  the  death  of  Joseph  to  the  birth  of  Moses 
many  years  elapsed  in  the  history  of  our  people.  The 
lesson  stories  in  Genesis  deal  largely  with  individuals, 
telling  of  Adam  and  Eve,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob, 
Joseph,  etc.  The  second  book  of  the  Bible,  Exodus, 
treats  of  groups  of  people,  or  tribes.  The  subject- 
matter  of  Exodus,  therefore,  is  not  quite  as  interesting 
to  young  children.  By  grouping  the  events  about  the 
life  of  the  great  leader,  Moses,  the  interest,  however, 
may  be  well  sustained.  Events  in  the  life  of  Moses 
should  be  taken  up  in  historic  order.  In  teaching  about 
Moses  we  deal  with  the  greatest  hero  of  olden  times. 
We  must  so  present  the  facts  that  the  children  will 
admire  Moses  for  his  bravery,  love  him  for  his  kind- 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

ness  and  sympathize  with  him  as  a  great  general  and 
the  leac-er  of  a  wayward  and  immature  people.  Slavery 
and  freedom  are  contrasted  in  the  next  lesson.  Hence 
these  subjects  should  be  touched  upon  only  lightly 
here.  The  story  of  Moses,  although  separated  by  a 
long  interval  of  time  from  that  of  Joseph,  follows  it 
closely  and  logically. 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

In  the  lessons  of  Joseph  the  children  learned  that 
he  was  sold  into  slavery,  ill  treated  and  thrown  into 
prison. 

All  these  facts  seemed  to  show  that  God  had  for- 
gotten him;  but  in  a  wonderfully  beautiful  and  dra- 
matic sequel  it  is  seen  clearly  that  God  never  forgot 
Joseph,  but  not  only  was  working  in  many  ways  to 
improve  Joseph's  character  by  hardships,  but  also  to 
make  him  the  means  of  changing  his  brothers  from 
hard,  cruel  men  into  kind  and  loving  sons  and  broth- 
ers. God  could  have  freed  Joseph  and  sent  him  home 
to  his  father's  house,  but  God  had  selected  Joseph  to 
be  a  help  during  the  famine,  to  save  the  Egyptians 
and  many  others,  including  Jacob  and  his  family,  from 
starvation.  Hence,  Joseph  had  to  pass  through  so 
many  various  trying  experiences.  They  illustrate  the 
truth  that  God  always  answers  our  prayers,  though 
not  always  in  the  way  we  expect  and  not  always  at  the 
time  we  expect.  But,  if  we  trust  in  Him  implicity,  we 
need  have  no  fear  of  disappointment. 

Proceed  from  this  point  by  recalling  to  the  chil- 
dren's minds  the  kindness  of  the  king  of  Egypt 
toward  Joseph's  family.  Pharaoh  gave  them  a  special 
part  of  the  land  of  Egypt  (Goshen)  for  a  home.  But 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

when  this  king  had  been  dead  many  years  there  were 
other  kings  who  forgot  all  of  Joseph's  fidelity  and 
work  and  soon  treated  the  Israelites  cruelly,  making 
of  them  slaves  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 

APPLICATION 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

The  king  of  Egypt  became  alarmed  at  the  number 
of  boys  among  his  slaves,  the  Israelites.  The  Egyp- 
tians feared  that  when  these  Hebrew  boys  grew  up 
and  became  men  the  Hebrews  would  be  more  powerful 
than  the  Egyptians  and  fight  against  them.  The  king 
devised  several  plans  against  the  Hebrews.  He  made 
them  work  harder.  But  we  know  that  work  is  a  bless- 
ing, not  a  curse.  The  people  grew  in  strength  and  in 
numbers.  Finally,  the  king  issued  a  horrible,  cruel 
law.  He  commanded  that  all  the  Hebrew  boys  who 
were  born  should  be  killed.  "If  it  be  a  son,  then  shall 
ye  kill  him,  but  if  it  be  a  daughter,  then  may  she  live." 
(Exodus  I  :  16.)  "Every  son  that  is  born  ye  shall 
cast  into  the  river,  and  every  daughter  ye  shall  save 
alive."  (Exodus  I  :22.)  This  law  naturally  caused 
great  distress  among  the  Israelites.  When  a  boy  was 
born,  instead  of  the  usual  happiness  and  joy  in  the 
home,  there  was  sorrow  and  gloom,  because  the  king 
had  decreed  that  the  lad  should  be  drowned.  In  one 
family,  in  which  there  was  one  daughter  and  one  son, 
a  third  child  was  born.  It  was  a  darling  boy.  The 
mother's  and  father's  joy  was  turned  to  sorrow  when 
they  thought  of  throwing  their  precious  child  into  the 
Nile  River.  Nothing  is  so  dear,  especially  to  the 
mother's  heart — nothing  so  precious  to  her,  as  her 
child.  For  several  months  the  mother  hid  her  babe 
where  no  one  could  see  or  hear  him  laugh  and  cry. 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

Then  the  boy  grew  so  big  and  strong  that  the  mother 
knew  she  could  hide  him  no  longer.  She  feared  some 
officer  of  the  king  might  come  into  her  house  and  kill 
all  of  the  family  because  the  king's  law  had  been  dis- 
obeyed. 

Finally,  the  mother  thought  of  a  plan.  She  had 
made  a  little  cradle  in  the  form  of  a  basket,  "And  when 
she  could  no  longer  hide  him,  she  took  for  him  a  box 
of  bulrushes,  and  daubed  it  with  slime  and  with 
petals,  and  she  put  the  child  therein,  and  laid  it  amidst 
the  flags  by  the  brink  of  the  river.  And  his  sister 
placed  herself  afar  off  to  ascertain  what  would  be 
done  to  him."  (Exodus  II :  3-4.) 

Tell  of  the  mother's  great  love  in  making  or 
weaving  a  little  cradle  for  her  baby;  but  her  heart 
failed  her  when  she  put  the  basket  into  the  river.  So 
she  told  her  daughter,  Miriam,  to  hide  herself  in  the 
high  flags,  or  bulrushes,  in  order  that  she  might  watch 
the  basket.  If  possible,  the  teacher  should  have  some 
flags,  wide  grass  or  rushes  and  a  basket  to  show  clearly 
the  manner  in  which  the  child  was  saved.  As  Miriam 
was  watching  she  peered  through  the  flags,  or  grasses, 
and  saw  a  lady  elegantly  dressed  coming  to  the  Nile 
River.  The  lady  had  many  maids  with  her.  One  held 
a  sunshade  over  her  head  to  keep  the  heat  from  her. 
Another  maid  had  a  large  fan,  with  which  she  tried  to 
keep  the  lady  cool,  for  it  is  hot  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 
Miriam  soon  guessed  that  this  fashionable,  elegant 
lady  was  a  princess.  Yes,  she  was  the  daughter  of  the 
king,  Pharaoh,  and  had  come  to  bathe  in  the  Nile 
River.  Miriam  was  frightened  and  troubled.  She 
naturally  thought  that  if  the  King  was  so  cruel  as  to 
order  the  baby  boys  of  the  Israelites  to  be  drowned, 
perhaps  his  daughter  was  just  as  wicked.  It  is  prob- 
able that  Miriam  offered  up  a  prayer  to  God,  begging 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

for  God's  help  and  the  safety  of  her  dear  baby  brother. 
"My  help  is  from  the  Lord,  the  Maker  of  heaven  and 
earth."  This  is  the  "Memory  Gem"  of  the  lesson,  and 
it  is  very  appropriate  here,  for  the  Lord  did  help,  as 
He  always  does,  in  times  of  sorrow,  danger  and  trouble. 

The  princess  saw  the  basket,  and  wondered  what 
it  could  possibly  be.  She  said  to  one  of  her  maids: 
"Go  and  fetch  that  queer  looking  thing  from  among 
the  flags."  "And  when  she  had  opened  it,  (the  basket) 
she  saw  the  child  and  behold  it  was  a  weeping  boy." 
And  the  princess  thought:  "Oh,  what  mother  could 
be  so  cruel  as  to  try  and  drown  her  baby."  Then  she 
remembered  that  the  king,  her  father,  had  made  the 
cruel  law  commanding  this.  Her  heart  was  filled  not 
only  with  pity  for  the  baby,  crying  for  its  mother,  but 
also  with  sympathy  for  the  poor  mother  who  had  to 
part  with  her  little  son.  "Alas !"  she  said :  "This  is 
surely  one  of  the  Hebrews'  children."  (Exodus  II  :  6.) 
She  resolved  to  brave  her  father's  anger  and  save  the 
baby's  life.  She  lifted  it  from  the  basket,  kissed  it 
and  petted  it. 

When  Miriam,  the  baby's  sister,  saw  the  princess 
was  soothing  the  baby  and  was  kind  to  him  Miriam 
resolved  to  make  another  effort  to  save  the  baby's  life. 
She  ran  quickly  from  her  hiding  place  and,  bowing  low 
to  the  princess,  said :  "Shall  I  go  and  call  thee  a  nurse 
of  the  Hebrew  women,  that  she  may  nurse  for  thee 
the  child?" 

"And  Pharaoh's  daughter  said  to  her  Go,  and  the 
maiden  went  and  called  the  mother  of  the  child." 
(Exodus  II  :  7  and  8.)  How  joyfully  Miriam  must 
have  run  home!  How  anxiously  the  mother  must 
have  been  waiting  for  news  of  her  baby!  When 
Miriam  told  her  mother  the  good  news  of  the  baby's 
safety  and  that  Pharaoh's  daughter  wanted  a  Hebrew 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

nurse  for  it,  the  mother  cried  for  joy  and  went  eagerly 
and  quickly  to  obey  the  princess  and  thus  fold  her 
dear  child  once  again  to  her  breast.  "And  Pharaoh's 
daughter  said  unto  her,  Take  away  this  child  and  nurse 
him  for  me,  and  I  will  give  thee  thy  wages,  and  the 
woman  took  the  child  and  nursed  him."  (Exodus 
11:9.) 

Ask  the  children  whether  they  think  the  mother 
wanted  wages.  Your  pupils  will  naturally  reply :  "No, 
indeed ;  the  mother  was  only  too  happy  to  have  charge 
of  her  child  again.  She  wanted  no  money  for  caring 
for  him."  "Thereupon  the  mother  took  care  of  the 
child  until  he  grew  up.  And  she  brought  him  unto 
Pharaoh's  daughter  and  he  became  to  her  as  a  son,  and 
she  called  his  name  Moses,  and  she  said:  Because  out 
of  the  water  I  have  drawn  him."  (Exodus  II :  10.) 

Now,  while  Moses  was  a  little  boy  and  under  his 
mother's  care,  his  mother  must  have  constantly  told 
him  that  although  one  day  he  would  live  in  a  palace 
with  the  princess,  he  really  was  a  Hebrew  boy.  She 
begged  him  to  remember  not  only  this,  but  also  that  his 
brethren  were  slaves.  She  admonished  him  that  as  he 
would  receive  a  good  education  and  be  a  free  man,  he 
must  in  some  way  try  to  help  his  poor,  oppressed 
brethren.  Moses  was  an  obedient  son.  He  loved  his 
mother.  From  all  that  followed  we  know  that  her 
words  made  a  deep  impression  on  his  retentive  mind. 
All  of  us  should  think  of  our  mother's  words  and  our 
father's  teachings.  No  matter  how  long  we  live,  we 
should  remember  and  obey  all  that  they  tell  us.  When 
Moses  was  a  man  the  words  of  his  mother  often  came 
back  to  him.  He  felt  the  deepest  pity  for  the  Hebrew 
slaves,  who  were  his  kinsmen.  The  harsh  overseers, 
who  treated  the  Israelites  so  cruelly,  rilled  him  with 
righteous  rage  and  indignation. 

106 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

God  works  in  a  wonderful  manner.  He  had 
planned  that  Moses,  the  little  Israelitish  boy,  should  be 
saved;  should  live  in  an  Egyptian  palace;  should  re- 
ceive a  good  education,  and  should,  in  the  course  of 
time,  really  be  the  means  of  leading  his  people,  the 
Israelites,  from  slavery  to  freedom. 

The  Bible  tells  us :  "And  it  came  to  pass  in  those 
days,  when  Moses  was  grown  up,  that  he  went  out 
unto  his  brethren  and  looked  on  their  burdensome 
labours,  and  he  saw  an  Egyptian  man  smiting  a  Hebrew 
man,  one  of  his  brethren.  And  he  looked  this  way 
and  that  way,  and  when  he  saw  that  there  was  no  one 
by,  he  smote  the  Egyptian,  and  hid  him  in  the  sand." 
(Exodus  II:  11-12.) 

When  Moses  saw  the  Egyptian  treating  the 
Hebrew  cruelly  he  perhaps  thought  it  was  only  an  act 
of  God  that  had  prevented  him  from  being  a  slave  also. 
While  thankful  for  his  happier  lot,  Moses  sympathized 
with  and  felt  deeply  for  the  oppressed  Hebrews.  Who 
knows  but  that  Moses  tried  to  reason  with  the  Egyp- 
tian, but  his  words  had  no  effect?  Then  Moses  slew 
the  cruel  man.  Some  days  after  this  Moses  saw  two 
Hebrews  fighting.  He  told  them  that  it  was  very 
wrong  to  do  so  and  that  brethren  should  not  quarrel. 
One  of  the  men  answered  him  and  said :  "Who  made 
thee  a  chief  and  a  judge  over  us?  Intendest  thou  to 
kill  me  as  thou  hast  killed  the  Egyptian?"  When 
Moses  heard  these  words  he  was  afraid.  He  feared 
that  his  act  had  become  known.  On  this  account  he 
resolved  to  flee  from  the  country,  lest  Pharaoh  should 
kill  him.  Hence  Moses  went  far  away  to  another  land. 

RESUME 

The  story  of  Joseph  is  dramatic  and  inspiring. 
The  life  of  Moses,  too,  is  filled  with  strange  and  won- 

107 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

derf ul  events.  When  we  think  of  the  checkered  career 
of  Moses  we  cannot  doubt  the  wise  and  loving  Provi- 
dence which  ordains  a  place  in  life  and  a  work  for  each 
one  of  us  to  do.  From  the  time  Moses  was  exposed 
to  drowning  in  the  Nile  River  until  the  time  he  led  the 
people  out  of  Egypt  his  life  is  full  of  remarkable 
events.  God's  power  saved  him  from  death.  Instead 
of  living  the  degraded  life  of  a  slave,  Moses  is  edu- 
cated in  the  palace  of  the  king.  His  growth  and 
development  were  part  of  the  Divine  Plan  to  raise  him 
above  his  brethren,  on  a  much  higher  plane  than  the 
bondsmen,  in  order  to  fit  him  to  save  his  people,  to 
lead  and  govern  them.  His  education  and  training 
marked  him  out  and  endowed  him  alone  of  that  whole 
generation  to  become  the  leader  of  his  poor,  despised 
brethren.  Our  help  truly  comes  from  the  Lord.  God 
always  watches  over  us.  What  may  seem  evil  often 
turns  out  to  be  a  forerunner  of  good. 

While  our  prayers  may  not  always  be  answered 
when  we  expect  them  and  in  the  manner  in  which  we 
would  have  them  answered,  we  may  be  sure  that  the 
Heavenly  Father  never  forgets  His  children. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  In  what  general   respect  do  the  lessons   in 
Exodus  differ  from  those  in  Genesis  ? 

2.  What  is  the  historic  relation  between  the  his- 
tory of  Moses  and  the  story  of  Joseph  ? 

3.  Because  of  what  law  was  Moses  put  into  the 
Nile  ?    Describe  how  he  was  saved  from  drowning. 

4.  How  and  where  was  Moses  educated? 

5.  In  what  respect  did  Moses'  life  and  education 
differ  from  that  of  the  other  Hebrews  ? 

108 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

6.  In  what  way  did  the  education  of  Moses  fit 
him  for  his  life's  work? 

7.  Was  Moses  in  sympathy  with  his  persecuted 
brethren  ?    Give  reason  for  your  reply. 

8.  What  effect  did  the  quarrel  Moses  interrupted 
have  on  Moses*  life? 

9.  Contrast  the  lives  of  Joseph  and  Moses. 

10.  Do  you  think  Moses  was  justified  in  slaying 
the  Egyptian  ?   Give  reason  for  your  reply. 


109 


Lesson  X 
Moses  the  Man 


in 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 


Lesson  X— Moses  the  Man 

Special  Topic— The  Burning  Bush. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson — To  show  that  God  is  all-wise 
and  that  He  will  instruct  us  and  help  us  if  we  call 
upon  Him. 

Memory  Gems — "I  will  instruct  thee  and  I  will 
teach  thee  in  the  way  which  thou  shalt  go.  (Psalm 
XXXII  :8.)  "I  will  be  with  thee."  (Exodus  II  : 
12.)  "For  the  Lord  giveth  wisdom ;  out  of  His  mouth 
(come)  knowledge  and  understanding."  (Proverbs 
II  :  6.) 

Bible  References— Exodus  II  :  15-22;  III  :  1-22; 
IV  :  1-9. 

Picture — "Moses  and  the  Burning  Bush,"  Wilde 
No.  381. 

Song — Song  of  the  previous  lesson  (concluded). 

NOTE  TO  THE  TEACHER 

In  presenting  this  lesson  the  teacher  is  confronted 
for  the  first  time  with  the  subject  of  miracles.  (On 
the  Jewish  mode  of  teaching  about  Miracles,  see  "The 
New  Education  in  Religion,"  pp.  80-81.)  The  burn- 
ing bush  was  truly  miraculous,  an  unexpected  won- 
der, at  variance  with  all  the  natural  laws  of  the  uni- 
verse. 

To  God  all  things  are  possible.  This  is  the 
thought  the  teacher  should  give  to  the  pupils.  God 
made  something  startling,  unusual — i.  e.,  miraculous — 
happen  in  order  to  attract  Moses*  attention  and  to  make 

113 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

him  realize  the  omnipotence  of  "the  Great  First  Cause." 
He  filled  the  heart  of  Moses  with  surprise  and  awe, 
wonder  and  fear  at  God's  power. 

Another  point  for  the  teacher  to  notice  is  the 
manner  of  God's  workings.  The  shepherds  were 
despised  in  Egypt,  yet  it  was  with  his  staff,  or  shep- 
herd's crook,  that  God  permitted  Moses  to  perform  the 
strange  deeds  before  Pharaoh  and  the  Egyptians. 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

Try  to  make  the  story  of  Moses  real  by  telling 
the  children  something  about  the  recent  excavations 
that  have  been  made  and  that  have  made  us  familiar 
with  the  life  of  ancient  Egypt.  In  1883  and  since 
then,  ruins  of  cities,  temples  and  tombs  have  been 
found  which  are  positively  of  the  time  of  Rameses  II, 
the  Pharaoh  of  these  lessons.  Tell  of  the  thousands 
of  tourists  who  now  travel  to  Egypt  to  gaze  upon  these 
sights.  The  point  of  contact  having  been  thus  found,  it 
is  easy  to  proceed  with  a  brief  review  of  last  week's 
work. 

Question  the  children  to  be  sure  that  they  under- 
stand and  remember  the  early  life  of  Moses.  Note  the 
most  important  points. 

1.  The  cruel  law  of  Pharaoh. 

2.  The  birth  and  hiding  of  Moses. 

3.  His  rescue. 

4.  His  education  at  the  palace. 

5.  His  recollection  of  his  brethren. 

6.  His  attempt  to  help  them. 

PRESENTATION 

Commence  the  presentation  of  the  lesson  from 
this  point.  Moses  remembers  his  brethren ;  he  tried  to 

ill 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

help  them.  The  killing  of  the  Egyptian  brings  him 
into  trouble,  and  Moses  has  to  flee  from  the  country 
because  Pharaoh  seeks  revenge  and  wants  to  kill  him. 
Moses  goes  to  a  nearby  land  and  lives  there  for  about 
forty  years.  He  is  married  and  has  two  sons. 

The  teacher  should  emphasize  the  fact  that  Moses 
willingly  gave  up  his  life  of  luxury  at  the  palace  for 
one  of  hardship  and  struggle.  The  sorrows  of  the 
Hebrews  and  his  hope  to  help  them  had  so  affected  his 
life  that  he  gladly  became  a  shepherd  in  the  new  land. 
Here  in  his  daily  wanderings  with  his  flock,  in  the 
stillness,  in  the  peace  of  outdoor  life,  he  has  a  chance 
to  commune  with  himself,  to  think  of  how  he  could 
best  be  useful  to  his  people.  He  realizes  that  the  time 
had  not  yet  come  for  action  and  that  he  had  been  too 
hasty. 

It  was  in  the  Divine  Plan  of  God  that  Moses  in  all 
these  years  of  life  as  a  shepherd  should  think  out  and 
plan  rules  and  laws  for  the  government  of  the  unedu- 
cated people,  of  whom  he  was  one  day  to  be  the 
leader.  Moses  also  learned  the  geography  of  the  coun- 
try through  which  he  was  to  lead  the  Israelites  in  their 
wanderings.  At  length,  God  thought  the  time  was  ripe 
to  bring  Moses  back  to  Egypt  to  take  up  his  appointed 
work,  and  so  God  revealed  Himself  to  Moses  for  the 
first  time,  in  a  strange  and  wonderful  manner.  Moses 
was  tending  his  flocks  in  a  low  valley  surrounded  by 
great,  tall  mountains.  (One  of  these  was  Mount 
Sinai.)  Explain  on  the  blackboard  or  sand  table  or 
by  pictures  how  valleys  and  mountains  look.  Describe 
such  a  landscape.  Tell  of  the  soft,  green  grass,  the 
splendid  trees,  the  stream  of  water,  with  a  row  of 
bushes  growing  on  the  banks  of  the  brook.  Make  this 
picture  vivid,  that  the  children  may  get  the  true  feeling 
and  spirit  of  the  event. 

115 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

As  Moses  was  caring  one  day  for  his  flock  in  such 
a  valley  "an  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him  in  a 
flame  of  fire  out  of  the  midst  of  a  thorn-bush ;  and  he 
looked,  and  behold,  the  thorn-bush  was  burning  with 
fire,  but  the  thorn-bush  was  not  consumed."  (Exodus 
111:2.) 

What  a  curious  sight  this  must  have  been!  A 
bush,  or  a  tree,  once  aflame  would  burn  up  and  be  con- 
sumed. It  would  crumble  to  ashes;  but  this  strange 
bush  burned  and  burned,  and  though  continuing  to 
burn,  remained  intact. 

Some  people  say  that  this  is  a  beautiful  symbol  of 
God's  care  over  His  people.  They  suffered  and  suf- 
fered and  suffered,  yet  were  they  not  destroyed,  for 
God  watched  over  them. 

"And  Moses  said  I  must  turn  aside  and  see  this 
great  sight,  why  the  thorn-bush  is  not  burned."  (Exo- 
dus III:  3.) 

"And  when  the  Lord  saw  that  he  turned  aside  to 
see,  God  called  unto  him  out  of  the  midst  of  the  thorn- 
bush  and  said,  Moses,  Moses,  and  he  said,  Here  am 
I."  (Exodus  111:4.) 

Here  recall  to  the  children  God's  appearance  to 
Abraham,  to  Isaac  and  to  Jacob.  Remind  them  of 
God's  great  promise  to  bless  the  people  whom  He  had 
chosen  for  His  own.  The  promise  to  Abraham.  (Gen- 
esis XII  :  1  and  2.)  The  promise  to  Isaac.  (Genesis 
XXVI  :  3.)  The  promise  to  Jacob.  (Genesis 
XXVIII  :  13,  14,  15.) 

As  Moses,  in  response  to  God's  call,  drew  near 
the  bush,  God  said  unto  him :  "Draw  not  nigh  hither ; 
put  off  thy  shoes  from  thy  feet,  for  the  place  whereon 
thou  standest  is  holy  ground."  (Exodus  III :  5.) 

These  words  will  strike  the  attention  of  the  chil- 
dren, for  they  show  one  difference  in  the  oriental 

116 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

customs  from  those  of  our  western  world.  It  is  cus- 
tomary now  in  our  country  for  men  to  take  off  their 
hats  as  a  mark  of  respect,  but  in  those  days  and  lands 
to  take  off  their  shoes  showed  reverence. 

If  possible,  the  teacher  should  get  a  pair  of 
sandals,  or  else  show  a  picture  of  them.  Explain  that 
the  sand  of  the  desert  naturally  got  into  the  feet. 
Hence  removing  the  sandals  and  washing  the  feet  were 
marks  of  hospitality  and  respect  in  Bible  times.  Ask 
the  children  to  recall  how  Abraham  ran  to  meet  the 
three  strangers,  whom  he  hospitably  asked  to  come 
into  his  tent  and  to  let  him  bring  water  to  wash  their 
feet.  Moses  removed  his  shoes  and  drew  nearer  to 
the  fiery  bush.  Then  for  the  first  time  God  spoke  to 
him.  Notice  that  God  recalls  the  promises  He  made 
to  our  three  great  forefathers — the  promises  that  have 
just  been  cited. 

"And  he  said:  I  am  the  God  of  thy  father,  the 
God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of 
Jacob;  and  Moses  hid  his  face;  for  he  was  afraid." 
(Exodus  III  :6.)  His  was  a  righteous,  wholesome 
fear  in  the  presence  of  the  King  of  Kings.  "And  the 
Lord  said,  I  have  truly  seen  the  affliction  of  my  people 
that  is  in  Egypt,  and  I  have  heard  its  cry  by  reason 
of  its  taskmasters,  yea,  I  know  its  sorrows.  And  I 
am  come  down  to  deliver  it  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
Egyptians,  and  to  bring  it  out  of  that  land  unto  a  land 
good  and  large."  (Exodus  III :  7-8.) 

Moses  must  have  felt  glad  when  he  knew  that 
God  was  ready  to  deliver  the  Hebrews  from  their  cruel 
bondage  and  had  repeated  His  promise  to  bring  them 
into  their  own  land.  But  Moses  was  a  meek  man.  He 
feared  to  take  the  leadership.  God  said:  "And  now 
then,  go,  and  I  will  send  thee  unto  Pharaoh  and  thou 
shalt  bring  forth  my  people,  the  Children  of  Israel,  out 

117 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

of  Egypt."  And  Moses  said  unto  God:  "Who  am  I 
that  I  should  go  unto  Pharaoh,  and  that  I  should  bring 
forth  the  Children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt?"  "And  he 
said  I  will  be  with  thee."  (Exodus  III :  10-12.) 

This  great  promise  of  God,  "I  will  be  with  thee," 
should  have  satisfied  Moses.  It  should  have  made  him 
ready  for  anything  and  for  everything  he  might  be 
called  on  to  do. 

It  is  a  beautiful  Bible  verse,  and  when  we  repeat 
it,  it  should  make  us  feel  happy  and  strong  for  any 
work  required  of  us.  We  remember  God's  many 
promises  to  us,  and  as  God  promised  Moses  to  be 
with  him  and  help  him,  so  we  too  must  feel  that  God 
is  always  with  us,  especially,  when  we  ask  for  His 
help  and  His  guidance. 

The  children  are  old  enough  to  feel  this,  and 
the  personal  application  must  be  dwelt  upon,  for  this 
is  one  of  the  first  places  to  develop  the  natural,  per- 
sonal feeling  between  the  little  child  and  the  Great 
Heavenly  Father,  as  well  as  to  quicken  in  the  child 
the  first  sense  of  pride  in  his  Jewish  heritage  and 
obligation. 

But  Moses  demurs  and  God  repeats  His  promise 
to  bring  His  people  to  their  own  land  as  He  has 
promised  to  them.  Then  God  showte  Moses  two 
curious  signs.  It  is  left  to  the  time  and  the  discretion 
of  the  teacher  to  read  and  explain  (Exodus  IV  :  1-7). 
Moses  puts  forth,  as  a  last  plea,  his  inability  to  speak : 
"Pardon,  O  Lord,  I  am  not  a  man  of  words,  neither 
yesterday,  nor  the  day  before,  nor  since  Thou  hast 
spoken  unto  Thy  servant;  for  I  am  heavy  of  speech 
and  heavy  of  tongue"  (Exodus  IV  :  10.)  God  re- 
plies :  "Who  hath  given  a  mouth  to  man  ?  or  who 
maketh  him  dumb,  or  deaf,  or  seeing,  or  blind?  Is 
it  not  I,  the  Lord?"  (Exodus  IV  :  11.)  This  reply  well 

118 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

sets  forth  our  utter  dependence  for  all  our  senses, 
powers  and  feelings  on  God.  Children  should  realize 
how  utterly  powerless  we  are  without  our  Heavenly 
Father,  who  endows  us  with  all  our  faculties,  sight, 
hearing,  smell,  touch  and  taste.  God  says  further: 
"Now  therefore  go,  and  I  will  be  thy  mouth,  and  I 
will  teach  thee  what  thou  shalt  speak."  (Exodus  IV: 
12.) 

But  Moses  still  hesitates.  Then  "the  anger  of  the 
Lord  is  kindled  against  Moses."  But  God  tells  Moses 
that  his  brother  Aaron  shall  go  with  him  to  speak 
before  Pharaoh  what  Moses  might  wish.  So  Moses, 
with  Aaron's  help,  finally  is  willing  to  go  to  Pharaoh 
and  eventually  lead  the  people  from  slavery  to  free- 
dom. Aaron  is  glad  to  be  the  spokesman  in  this  great 
cause.  God  had  said  to  Moses  that  Aaron  would  be 
pleased  and  the  Bible  says  that  when  Moses  returned 
to  Egypt,  Aaron  was  happy  and  he  came  out  to  meet 
Moses  and  ran  and  kissed  his  brother. 

RESUME 

To  God  all  things  are  possible.  He  decided  to 
free  His  people  and  chose  Moses  to  be  their  leader. 
Moses  hesitated  and  refused  at  first.  God  performed 
several  miracles  to  show  His  power  to  Moses  and  to 
convince  him  of  God's  ability  to  strengthen  him.  Show 
the  children  that  this  was  not  disobedience  as  we 
generally  term  it,  but  it  was  the  meekness  and  modesty 
of  Moses  which  made  him  feel  that  he,  Moses,  was 
not  great  enough  for  such  a  grave  and  trying  task. 
But  God  promised  to  instruct  and  to  help  Moses.  At 
length  Moses  was  ready  for  the  great  burden,  the 
great  task  of  leadership.  Sometimes  school  children 
grow  tired  of  their  tasks  and  it  requires  effort  and 
struggle  on  their  part  to  conquer  difficulties.  Often 

119 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

the  teacher  will  gladly  help  them  in  their  efforts,  if 
they  will  strive  faithfully  to  accomplish  their  tasks; 
then,  next  time  the  work  seems  easier.  So  God  gives 
help  to  those  who  earnestly  strive  to  do  His  will. 

Just  as  exercises  strengthen  the  muscles  of  the 
body,  so  does  study  strengthen  the  mind  and  make 
it  readier  for  harder  work.  Even  so  is  every  difficult 
duty  in  life  made  easier  with  every  effort  to  fulfill  it. 
And  if  the  tasks  seem  too  heavy  we  should  feel 
strengthened  by  the  words  God  spoke  to  Moses:  "I 
will  be  with  thee." 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  miracle  occurs  in  this  part  of  the  life 
of  Moses?  How  would  you  explain  miracles  to  young 
children  ? 

2.  How  should  the  teacher  try  to  make  the  les- 
son realistic  to  the  children?     What  recent  events 
will  help? 

3.  Tell  three  important  facts  in  the  early  life 
of  Moses  that  would  help  in  making  the  Point  of 
Contact  between  the  preceding  lesson  and  this  one. 

4.  Why  did  Moses  flee  from  Egypt?    Why  did 
he  return? 

5.  What  divine  purpose  can  be  seen  in  Moses* 
wandering  life  as  a  shepherd? 

6.  In   the   teaching   of   God's   appearance   and 
promise  to  Moses,  name  two  other  occasions  when 
God  appeared  to  people  who  lived  before  the  days  of 
Moses.    Tell  one  promise  God  made. 

7.  Give  a  verse  in  which  God  told  His  previous 
promises. 

120 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

8.  Was  Moses  eager  to  assume  the  leadership 
of  the  people?    Give  reason  for  your  answer. 

9.  Explain   the   verse   "I   will   be   with   thee." 
What  lessons  can  the  teacher  draw  from  this  verse 
for  his  class? 

10.  Write  in  your  own  language  a  brief  resume 
of  the  chief  events  of  this  lesson,  using  short,  terse 
sentences. 


121 


Lesson  XI 
The  Deliverance  From  Egypt 


123 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lesson  XI— The  Deliverance  from  Egypt 

Special  Topic — The  Origin  of  the  Passover  Fes- 
tival. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson— To  develop  the  contrast  be- 
tween slavery  and  freedom. 

Memory  Gem — "I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  who 
have  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  out  of 
the  house  of  slavery."  Exodus  XX  :2. 

Bible  References— Exodus  I  :8-14;  II  :  23-25; 
III  :  13. 

Pictures — "Pharaoh  Urging  Moses  to  Leave 
Egypt."  Wilde  383.  "Departure  of  the  Children  of 
Israel  from  Egypt."  Wilde  578. 

Songs — "America,"  or  some  other  national  hymn. 
Also  one  of  the  traditional  airs  used  at  the  Seder 
Service. 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

The  teacher  should  begin  the  lesson  by  asking 
the  children  if  they  know  the  difference  between  slav- 
ery and  freedom.  Physical  freedom  is  the  ability  to 
go  about  when  and  where  one  pleases.  Spiritual  free- 
dom is  the  ability  to  pray  as  one  pleases  and  to  follow 
the  dictates  of  one's  own  conscience.  Spiritual  free- 
dom entitles  a  man  to  belong  to  whatsoever  religion 
he  chooses,  or  not  to  belong;  and  to  worship  God  in 
any  way  which  seems  right.  When  a  person  is  free, 
he  may  have  to  work  very  hard,  but  he  receives  pay 

125 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

and  gets  money  for  his  work.  The  children  will 
know  that  their  fathers  and  brothers  are  paid  for  all 
the  work  they  do.  Some  mothers  do  work  outside  of 
the  home  also,  then  they,  too,  are  paid  for  it.  The 
servants  in  the  house  receive  weekly  wages.  When  a 
person  is  a  slave  he  has  to  work  very  hard,  but  he 
does  not  receive  pay  or  wages.  He  works  for  his 
master  without  compensation. 

The  United  States  is  a  free  country,  but  years 
ago  there  were  a  great  many  slaves  living  here.  Ask 
the  children  whether  they  have  ever  heard  about  the 
negroes  being  held  as  slaves.  Some  were  treated 
kindly,  but  others  had  very  cruel  masters,  who  beat 
them  and  used  them  badly.  These  slaves  could  not 
legally  leave  their  employers.  Many  ran  away,  but 
when  they  were  brought  back  they  were  severely  pun- 
ished. This  shows  that  they  did  not  have  physical 
freedom.  Ask  the  children  whether  they  know  who 
set  these  slaves  free.  They  will  very  probably  know 
that  Abraham  Lincoln  freed  the  slaves. 

Next  talk  to  the  class  about  the  time,  years  ago, 
when  America  was  under  the  rule  of  England.  Al- 
though the  colonists  were  not  slaves  physically,  yet 
in  many  ways  they  were  treated  badly  and  oppressed 
by  the  mother  country.  Every  child  will  know  that 
George  Washington  freed  the  United  States  from 
Great  Britain's  control. 

Speak  of  the  courage  and  bravery  of  Washington 
and  Lincoln.  We  honor  their  memories.  We  cele- 
brate their  birthdays  each  year,  and  tell  of  their  great 
deeds.  We  also  celebrate  the  Fourth  of  July  as  the 
birthday  of  liberty  in  the  United  States. 


126 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

APPLICATION 

Tell  the  children  that  many  years  ago  the  Jews 
(or  Israelites)  as  they  were  then  called,  were  not 
free  as  we  are  now,  in  America.  They  were  slaves 
in  Egypt  under  Pharaoh.  Review  briefly  the  end  of 
the  story  of  Joseph.  Tell  how  kindly  Jacob  and  his 
family  were  treated  by  King  Pharaoh  in  their  time. 
But  now  all  was  changed.  (Exodus  I  :  8, 11, 14.)  The 
Hebrews  groaned  under  their  heavy  burdens.  Their 
bodies,  their  minds,  their  souls,  were  starved  by  the 
cruelties  of  their  masters.  They  dared  not  pray  to 
their  God  as  they  chose.  They  were  not  allowed  to 
think  and  act  as  they  wished.  They  could  not  run 
away  from  their  cruel  taskmasters. 

Explain  how  wrong  it  is  for  one  human  being  to 
own  another.  God  has  made  us  all  free  and  equal. 
"Hath  not  one  God  created  us?"  (Mai.  II  :  10.)  The 
Bible  tells  us  that  although  the  Hebrews  were  op- 
pressed, God  had  not  forgotten  them.  He  was  watch- 
ing over  them  and  ever  does  watch  over  all  His  chil- 
dren. (Exodus  II :  23-25 ;  III :  7  and  8.) 

Notice  that  in  Exodus  III  :6,  God  says:  "I  am 
the  God  of  thy  father,  the  God  of  Abraham,  the  God 
of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob."  Thus  God  renewed 
his  pledges  given  to  our  ancestors,  Abraham,  Isaac 
and  Jacob.  God  told  Moses  that  he  was  to  be  the  man 
to  lead  the  people  from  slavery  to  freedom.  Moses 
was  a  meek  and  modest  man.  He  was  not  conceited. 
But  Moses  thought  he  was  not  equal  to  the  great  task 
of  delivering  the  people  from  bondage.  (Exodus  III: 
13;  IV:  1-13.) 

He  said:  "Who  am  I,  that  I  should  go  unto 
Pharaoh,  and  that  I  should  bring  forth  the  Children 
of  Israel  out  of  Egypt?"  Explain  to  the  children 

127 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

that  although  Moses  was  so  modest,  he  was  specially 
adapted  for  the  work  God  called  upon  him  to  per- 
form. The  Israelites,  generally,  were  not  educated. 
Slavery  had  starved  their  minds,  but  Moses  had  been 
well  educated.  He  had  been  brought  up  in  the  palace 
of  Pharaoh,  and  had  thus  had  unusual  advantages  of 
learning.  The  poor  Hebrew  slaves  were  almost  like 
children,  unable  to  govern  themselves.  Moses  was 
different  and  was  therefore  chosen  by  God  for  this 
great  mission.  Read  to  or  tell  the  class  the  various  ob- 
jections put  forth  by  Moses,  because  of  his  hesitancy 
to  undertake  so  great  a  task  as  that  of  liberating  his 
enslaved  brethren  from  the  mighty  power  of  Egypt. 
(Exodus  III  :  12-21;  Exodus  IV  :  1-17.)  God  an- 
swered every  protest  and  objection  of  Moses,  and 
finally  Moses  said:  "Pardon,  O  Lord,  I  am  not  a 
man  of  words  ....  for  I  am  heavy  of  speech 
and  heavy  of  tongue."  (Exodus  IV  :  10.)  Then  God 
told  Moses  that  his  brother,  Aaron,  should  go  with 
him  to  be  the  spokesman. 

An  interesting  little  tale  has  come  down  to  us 
in  the  legends  of  the  Midrash,  which  tries  to  explain 
why  Moses  was  "heavy  of  tongue." 

It  is  said  that  when  Moses  was  a  little  boy,  the 
"Wise  Men"  or  magicians  of  Egypt  warned  Pharaoh, 
the  king,  that  this  little  Hebrew  boy  would  some  day 
become  greater  than  Pharaoh.  Of  course  this  an- 
gered the  king.  One  day,  Moses  in  play,  laughingly 
took  the  crown  off  Pharaoh's  head  and  placed  it  on 
his  own.  This  aroused  the  anger  of  the  magicians 
and  they  said  to  the  king:  "See,  this  is  the  beginning 
of  the  verification  of  our  prophecy.  This  child  will 
one  day  take  away  your  crown  from  you  forever." 
The  king  was  worried  and  wanted  to  have  the  child, 
Moses,  put  to  death.  The  tale  goes  on  to  say  that 

128 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

an  angel  whispered  into  the  king's  ear:  "The  child  is 
too  young  to  have  any  knowledge  about  a  crown. 
Test  his  intelligence."  The  king  had  a  platter  brought 
to  him.  On  it  were  placed  a  lump  of  gold  and  a 
lump  of  burning  red  coal.  The  king  told  Moses 
to  take  that  which  he  liked  best.  The  gold  being 
valuable,  any  common  sense  person  must  naturally 
have  chosen  it.  But  as  Moses  stretched  out  his  hand, 
the  good  angel  made  him  take  the  lump  of  coal.  Child- 
like he  put  it  up  to  his  mouth,  and  burned  his  tongue, 
and  never  after  that  day  could  be  speak  plainly. 

In  obedience  to  God's  command,  Moses  and 
Aaron  appeared  before  Pharaoh  to  ask  that  the  Israel- 
ites might  be  allowed  to  leave  Egypt.  "Thus  said  the 
Everlasting  One,  the  God  of  Israel,  Let  my  people 
go!"  And  Pharaoh  said:  "Who  is  the  Everlasting 
One,  whose  voice  I  am  to  obey,  to  let  Israel  go?  I 
know  not  the  Everlasting  One,  nor  will  I  let  Israel 
go."  (Exodus  V  :  2.)  Explain  the  blasphemy  in  these 
words  of  the  king.  Pharaoh  thought  only  of  him- 
self. He  did  not  recognize,  heed  or  obey  the  great 
King  of  Kings.  But  the  Almighty  told  Moses  and 
Aaron  that  the  time  would  come  when  Pharaoh  would 
surely  know  Him,  and  obey  Him,  and  let  the  Israel- 
ites go. 

The  cruel  overseers  now  made  the  Israelite 
slaves  work  harder  than  ever.  They  refused  to  give 
them  the  materials  with  which  to  labor  and  yet  de- 
manded that  the  same  amount  of  work  should  be 
accomplished.  (Exodus  V:  16-19.) 

God  determined  to  punish  Pharaoh  and  the 
Egyptians,  and  to  hasten  the  time  when  the  Israelites 
would  be  free.  He  told  Moses  and  Aaron  of  His 
plans,  and  He  said :  "And  I  will  take  you  to  me  for  a 
people,  and  I  will  be  to  you  for  a  God,  and  ye  shall 

129 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

know  that  I  am  the  Lord,  your  God,  who  bringeth 
you  out  from  under  the  burdens  of  the  Egyptians." 
(Exodus  VI:  7.) 

God  sent  ten  plagues,  or  dreadful  catastrophes, 
over  the  land  of  Egypt  to  punish  the  king  and  his 
people  for  their  cruelty. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  go  into  the  details  of  each 
of  the  plagues.  Let  the  children  know  that  ten  pun- 
ishments were  sent  to  soften  Pharaoh's  heart  to  make 
him  free  the  slaves.  In  dealing  with  these  awful 
punishments  the  question  may  arise,  "Why  were  the 
innocent  made  to  suffer  with  the  guilty?"  Review 
the  theme  as  explained  in  previous  lessons:  "God's 
thoughts  are  not  our  thoughts,  God's  ways  are  not 
our  ways."  Sometimes  we  can  see  good  results  from 
evil.  Speak  of  the  wholesale  ruin  wrought  by  the 
Flood.  Yet  it  finally  benefited  the  human  race.  Men- 
tion the  wreck  of  the  Titanic,  yet  behold,  what  good 
came  of  it,  in  the  world-wide  outpouring  of  sympa- 
thetic aid  and  the  renewed  care  and  watchfulness  to 
safeguard  life. 

These  plagues  seemed  necessary  punishments  be- 
cause the  people  in  Egypt  had  become  degenerate,  on 
account  of  their  luxurious  mode  of  living.  Pharaoh 
was  mad  with  the  lust  for  power,  and  thought  he 
could  defy  every  law  of  right  and  every  principle  of 
justice  and  mercy.  The  Egyptians  shared  in  this  de- 
fiance. This  led  to  their  downfall.  Such  is  God's 
law  by  which  men  and  nations  are  punished. 

It  all  happened  just  as  God  ordained.  It  always 
does  happen  so.  Every  promise  of  God,  whether  for 
our  seeming  good  or  evil,  is  always  fulfilled. 

Let  the  teacher  tell  of  the  first  plague,  that  all 
the  water  was  turned  into  blood,  and  dwell  on  some 
of  the  hardships  and  suffering  entailed  by  their  having 

130 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

no  water  for  washing,  drinking  and  cooking  pur- 
poses. Ask  the  children  to  tell  of  some  of  the  needs 
of  life  which  require  water.  All  will  know  what  it 
means  to  suffer  from  thirst.  Similarly  explain  the 
plague  of  darkness. 

Be  sure  to  tell  of  the  wonderful  miracle,  that  in 
the  land  of  Goshen,  in  which  the  Israelites  lived  the 
water  was  not  turned  into  blood,  and  darkness  did  not 
prevail. 

With  each  plague  Pharaoh  sent  for  Moses  and 
Aaron  and  begged  them  for  relief,  promising  to  let 
Israel  go  free.  Moses  and  Aaron  prayed  that  each 
plague  in  turn  might  cease.  God  granted  the  request. 
But  Pharaoh  refused  again  and  again  to  let  the  people 
go,  and  one  plague  after  another  was  sent  over  the 
land.  Each  time  Pharaoh  promised  to  let  the  people 
go  if  the  plague  were  removed.  When  it  had  been 
taken  away,  he  again  refused  and  speedily  forgot  his 
promise. 

At  length  nine  plagues  had  been  sent.  "And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Moses,  yet  one  plague  more  will  I 
bring  upon  Pharaoh  and  upon  Egypt,  after  that  he 
will  let  you  go  hence,  he  shall  surely  thrust  you  alto- 
gether from  here."  (Exodus  XI  :  1.)  God  sent  the 
angel  of  death  over  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  in  every 
family  the  firstborn  was  killed.  There  was  no  differ- 
ence between  prince  and  pauper,  between  rich  and 
poor  From  the  firstborn  of  Pharaoh  who  sat  on  the 
throne,  to  the  firstborn  of  the  poorest  peasant.  But 
in  the  land  of  Goshen  the  Israelites  escaped  also  this 
dreadful  catastrophe.  At  midnight  a  great  cry  went 
up  from  every  family  in  Egypt,  for  each  was  mourn- 
ing the  death  of  the  eldest  or  firstborn.  Then,  at 
last,  Pharaoh  realized  and  recognized  that  there  was 
indeed  a  "God  of  Israel,"  a  Higher  Power  than  that 

131 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

of  petty  gods.    He  saw  and  confessed  the  might  of 
Almighty  God. 

On  that  night  every  Hebrew  family  offered  to 
God  a  lamb  as  a  sacrifice.  The  people  were  told  to 
be  ready  to  leave  Egypt;  to  have  their  sandals  on 
their  feet,  their  staffs  in  their  hands,  prepared  for 
their  great  deliverance.  (Exodus  XII  :  7-12.)  God 
told  the  people  (Exodus  XII :  14-20)  that,  this  day 
should  be  "a  memorial"  unto  them  and  that  their  de- 
scendants each  year  should  observe  this  festival  of 
Pesach  or  Passover,  on  the  anniversary  of  the  de- 
parture from  Egypt  God  commanded  the  Israelites 
to  perform  certain  rites  before  leaving  Egypt.  These 
are  explained  in  Exodus  XII.  God  said  that  it  should 
be  a  "Beginning  of  months,"  a  starting  point  in  the 
life  of  the  history  of  Israel.  The  slaves  were  to  be- 
come freemen,  and  naturally  some  ceremonies  were 
performed  at  this  transition  period.  So  that  the 
Israelites  prepared  for  their  departure  from  Egypt. 
Read  Exodus  XI  :4-7. 

And  Pharaoh  sent  for  Moses  and  Aaron  and  told 
them  to  go,  and  to  take  the  Hebrews  out  of  Egypt 
quickly,  lest  all  of  the  Egyptians  be  killed.  The 
Israelites  were  ready  when  the  command  came. 

They  had  been  slaves  so  long,  several  hundreds 
of  years,  that  they  had  little  property.  The  men  had 
their  bundles  on  their  backs  and  their  staffs  in  their 
hands.  The  women  bound  up  their  kneading  troughs 
on  their  shoulders,  for  the  dough  had  not  yet  had 
enough  time  to  rise.  They  took  their  children,  their 
cattle  and  goods  with  them.  Thus  all  the  Hebrew 
families  went  out  of  Egypt.  They  departed  at  God's 
command.  They  went  forth  from  slavery  to  freedom ! 
Describe  this  wonderful  Exodus.  Make  an  im- 
pressive mental  picture  of  this  first  instance  in  the 
history  of  the  world  that  such  an  event  occurred. 

132 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

RESUME 

The  difference  between  slavery  and  freedom  is 
clearly  shown  by  contrasting  the  physical,  mental  and 
moral  attitude  of  a  slave  and  that  of  a  free  man. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  slavery.  Physical  slav- 
ery usually  implies  mental  servitude  also.  America 
was  once  under  the  slavish  rule  of  England.  The 
negroes  were  once  slaves  in  the  United  States.  The 
Israelites  were  slaves  in  Egypt.  God  appointed  Moses, 
their  leader,  to  set  them  free. 

We  honor  the  memory  of  Washington  and  Lin- 
coln for  their  wonderful  deeds.  We  should  realize 
that  Moses  was  a  very  great  source  of  inspiration  to 
Washington  and  Lincoln,  because  he  was  the  first  man 
to  free  an  enslaved  people.  He  was  the  first  to  enun- 
ciate those  great  doctrines  and  principles  of  liberty 
which  have  come  down  to  us  through  the  long  eras 
of  time.  The  Israelites  were  told  by  God  to  make 
certain  preparations  for  their  departure  from  Egypt. 

The  festival  of  Pesach  is  observed  each  year 
with  various  ceremonies,  to  remind  us  of  our  depar- 
ture from  Egypt  It  is  a  celebration  for  thanking  God 
for  delivering  our  forefathers  from  slavery  and  bring- 
ing them  to  freedom.  If  this  had  not  happened,  we, 
ourselves,  might  today  be  slaves. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  would  you  explain  to  the  children  the 
difference  between  slavery  and  freedom? 

2.  What   two    facts   in   United   States   history 
would  help  explain  it? 

3.  Why  was  Moses  "heavy  of  tongue"? 

133 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

4.  What  difference  intellectually  was  there  be- 
tween Moses  and  his  brethren?    Why? 

5.  Whom  did  God  appoint  to  help  Moses ?  Why? 

6.  Describe  the  first  interview  between  Moses, 
Aaron  and  Pharaoh. 

7.  What  series  of  catastrophes  did  God  send  on 
the  Egyptians?    How  would  you  explain  them  to  the 
children  ? 

8.  How  would  you  answer  a  child  who  asked 
you :  "Why  were  the  good  punished  with  the  wicked"  ? 

9.  What  events  finally  led  to  the  Exodus  ?    De- 
scribe the  Exodus. 

10.  Why  is  Passover  celebrated? 


134 


Lesson  XII 
The  Passover 


135 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lesson  -XII— The  Passover 

Special  Topic— The  Seder  Service. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson — To  show  and  explain  the 
ceremonies  and  objects  used  at  the  Seder  Service. 

Memory  Gems — "And  this  shall  be  unto  you  a 
memorial,  and  ye  shall  celebrate  it  as  a  feast  unto  the 
Lord."  Exodus  XII  :  14. 

"Proclaim  freedom  throughout  the  land,  unto  all 
the  inhabitants  thereof."  Lev.  XXV  :  10. 

Bible  References— Exodus  XII;  XIII;  Psalm 
CV  :  23-45. 

Books — William  Rosenau:  "Jewish  Ceremonial 
Institutions  and  Customs"  (pp.  77-84  )  Any  Hagad- 
dah  or  Seder  Service  Book. 

Pictures — Oppenheimer:  "Seder  Evening."  "Op- 
pression in  Egypt." 

Objects — The  Seder  table  set  ready  for  the  serv- 
ice. On  the  table  should  be  the  matzotfi,  lamb  bone, 
bitter  herbs,  charoseth,  wine,  Kiddush  cup,  salt,  egg, 
vinegar  or  salt  water. 

Songs — One  or  two  traditional  airs,  from  the 
Seder  Service. 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

The  teacher  should  start  by  reviewing  briefly  the 
previous  lesson.  Ask  the  children  to  tell  the  story 
of  the  first  Passover.  Let  them  relate  the  wonderful 

137 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades— II. 

manner  in  which  God  delivered  the  Israelites  from 
slavery  and  led  them  to  freedom.  Then  proceed  to 
the  subject  of  similar  celebrations  among  different  na- 
tions. Ask  what  day  we  Americans  celebrate  in  honor 
of  our  freedom.  We  celebrate  the  Fourth  of  July. 
We  have  parades,  fireworks,  festivals  and  amuse- 
ments of  all  kinds.  Why  is  all  this  done? 

Note  that  the  Jewish  people  celebrate  the  birth- 
day of  their  liberty  by  observing  a  solemn  but  joyful 
holiday  known  as  Pesach  or  Passover. 

Pesach  is  observed  to  show  our  gratitude  to  God 
for  the  wonderful  deliverance  of  our  forefathers.  In 
the  Bible  we  read  that  God  commanded  us  to  observe 
it  each  year  so  that  we  may  never  forget  the  trials  of 
our  forefathers  and  therefore  duly  appreciate  our  own 
freedom  when  contrasted  with  the  trials  of  our  an- 
cestors. 

APPLICATION 

"And  this  day  shall  be  unto  you  for  a  memorial, 
and  ye  shall  celebrate  it,  as  a  feast  unto  the  Lord, 
throughout  your  generations,  as  an  ordinance  forever 
shall  ye  celebrate  it."  (Exodus  XII  :  14.)  Read  this 
verse  to  the  children  as  it  is  the  command  to  observe 
the  Passover  every  year.  Tell  the  children  how  we 
observe  Passover.  The  holiday  lasts  for  a  whole 
week.  The  first  day  and  the  seventh  day  are  espe- 
cially hallowed.  Among  some  of  our  brethren  the 
second  and  eighth  days  are  also  observed.  The  Jewish 
holidays  always  begin  in  the  evening,  because  when 
God  created  the  world  we  read:  "And  it  was  evening 
and  it  was  morning."  (Genesis  I  :  4,  etc.)  Our  Sabbath 
begins  on  Friday  evening.  So,  too,  on  Passover  we 
begin  our  celebration  in  the  evening. 

138 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades— II. 

We  have  a  beautiful,  happy  and  unique  custom 
of  ushering  in  this  holiday.  It  is  by  reading  the 
Haggadah  or  Seder  Service.  The  Hebrew  word  "Hag- 
gadah"  means  narrative  or  tale,  because  we  are  com- 
manded to  tell  each  year  the  story  of  the  Passover. 
"And  thou  shalt  tell  thy  son  on  that  day,  saying:  This 
is  done  for  the  sake  of  that  which  the  Lord  did  unto 
me  when  I  came  forth  from  Egypt."  (Exodus  XIII : 

8.) 

The  teacher  should  show  the  table  on  which  are 
grouped  the  articles  mentioned  above.  Let  us  note 
once  more  the  articles  on  the  table.  There  are:  three 
matzoth  (thick  matzoth).  These  are  placed  in  the 
center  of  the  table  covered  with  a  cloth  with  appro- 
priate Hebrew  words  embroidered  on  it;  a  dish  con- 
taining bitter  herbs,  horse  radish,  celery,  parsley,  let- 
tuce; charoseth: — a  mixture  made  of  scraped  apples 
and  raisins,  pounded  almonds  and  other  nuts,  sugar 
and  cinnamon;  an  egg  which  has  been  roasted  in  hot 
ashes;  a  roasted  lamb  bone  (the  shank  bone  is  gen- 
erally used) ;  special  wine,  used  for  Pesach. 

Besides  there  are  to  be  provided  also  a  small  cup 
of  salt  sater  or  vinegar,  a  salt  cellar  of  salt,  a  cup  of 
wine  (for  the  Elijah  cup)  ;  a  Kiddush  cup  and  a 
Seder  Service  book  for  every  participant  in  the  serv- 
ice. 

The  teacher  should  take  up  each  article  on  the 
table,  explain  the  meaning  of  the  symbol  and  why  it 
is  used.  He  should  draw  out  what  previous  knowl- 
edge of  these  matters  the  children  may  have.  He 
should,  however,  discourage  guessing.  The  objects 
which  the  children  will  probably  mention  first  are  the 
matzoth.  Why  do  we  eat  matzoth  or  unleavened 
bread?  Read  Exodus  XII  :  34-39,  followed  by  the 
command,  Exodus  XIII  :  6  and  7. 

139 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

"Seven  days  shalt  thou  eat  unleavened  bread  and 
on  the  seventh  day  shall  be  a  feast  to  the  Lord.  Un- 
leavened bread  shall  be  eaten  these  seven  days  and 
there  shall  not  be  seen  there  any  leavened  bread." 

Tell  the  class  that  the  matzoth  were  called  "the 
bread  of  affliction,"  on  account  of  the  affliction  of  the 
Jews,  but  in  free  countries  they  are  the  "bread  of 
joy"  on  account  of  our  freedom.  Ask  the  children 
if  they  have  ever  baked  little  crackers  or  biscuits  from 
scraps  of  dough  which  mother  or  the  cook  has  given 
them.  The  original  matzoth,  baked  in  the  sun,  were 
hard  and  tough,  not  like  our  modern  machine-made 
ones. 

Next  call  attention  to  the  Lamb  Bone.  When  God 
told  the  Israelites  to  be  ready  to  leave  Egypt,  he  com- 
manded each  family  to  make  a  burnt  offering  of  a 
lamb.  We  do  not  use  the  whole  lamb  now.  We  have 
no  burnt  offering.  However,  the  bone  is  to  serve  as 
a  reminder  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  first  Passover.  (Exo- 
dus XII  :  3-10.) 

Tell  the  class  that  the  egg  is  used  as  a  symbol  of 
the  new  life  into  which  the  people  were  about  to  enter. 
The  children  will  know  that  a  bird's  egg  will  hatch 
out  a  baby  bird.  Some  declare  the  egg  to  be  in  place 
of  the  festive  offering  prescribed  for  Passover. 

The  salt  is  used  because  it  is  a  necessity  of  life. 
Gather  from  the  children  the  many,  many  articles  of 
food  which  would  be  unpalatable  if  used  without  salt. 

The  Bible  says:  "On  all  thy  offerings  thou  shalt 
use  salt."  (Recall  that  salt  is  also  used  on  the  bread 
in  the  Kiddush  of  the  Sabbath  Eve.) 

The  bitter  herbs  are  used  to  remind  us  that  in  the 
days  of  slavery  the  Egyptians  embittered  the  lives  of 
the  Israelites  by  much  hard  work  and  cruelty.  "And 
they  made  their  lives  bitter  with  hard  labor,  in  mortar 

140 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

and  in  bricks,  and  in  all  manner  of  labor  in  the  fields, 
besides  all  their  other  services  wherein  they  made 
them  labor  with  rigor.  (Exodus  I  :  14.) 

In  contrast  to  the  bitter,  biting  herbs,  we  have 
the  sweet  Charoseth,  which  is  used  to  show  the  sweet- 
ness of  freedom.  Some  say  it  is  also  used  because  in 
color  it  resembles  the  mortar  the  people  used  for 
building  purposes. 

We  use  the  wine  as  a  symbol  of  joy,  and  cheer- 
fulness. At  weddings,  parties  and  other  happy  events, 
we  use  wine.  The  Bible  says :  "And  wine  that  maketh 
joyful  the  heart  of  man."  (Psalm  CIV  :  15.)  Recall 
here  also  that  we  use  wine  at  the  Kiddush  of  the  Sab- 
bath Eve. 

The  children  in  this  class  are  too  young  to  have 
all  of  the  regular  Seder  Service  read  to  them,  but  it 
will  interest  them  and  please  them  greatly  and  make 
a  deep  impression  on  them  if  you  will  give  each  one 
a  piece  of  matzoth,  some  bitter  herbs  and  a  taste  of 
the  Charoseth.  Let  the  children  (or  their  parents) 
provide  these  things  and  you  will  establish  a  point  of 
contact  with  the  home.  It  may  be  well  for  you  to  in- 
vite the  parents  to  come  and  see  how  the  Seder  table 
is  set.  It  may  induce  them  to  introduce  the  beautiful 
ceremony  into  their  own  homes. 

Take  up  the  Seder  book  and  tell  the  children  that 
it  contains  the  story  of  the  Passover,  the  various  pas- 
sages and  verses  from  the  Bible  which  tell  about  the 
feast  and  that  it  also  contains  questions  and  answers 
about  the  festival.  Read  to  them  the  section:  "Why 
do  we  observe  this  holiday?"  Tell  them  it  is  cus- 
tomary for  the  youngest  person  at  the  table  to  ask 
these  questions,  and  for  the  father  to  answer  them. 
Tell  of  the  hiding  of  the  good  luck  Matzo,  which  is 
afterwards  redeemed  as  a  forfeit  by  the  head  of  the 

141 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

family.  Sing  some  of  the  old  hymns.  Show  in  every 
way  that  the  Seder  ceremony  is  a  joyful  service.  Tell 
the  children  that  the  Seder  is  an  old  custom  and  that 
the  Haggadah,  with  its  songs  and  ceremonies,  is  a 
growth  of  many  centuries.  Some  people  today  in- 
clude in  the  Seder  the  singing  of  the  National  Anthem, 
which  is  peculiarly  appropriate  for  us,  in  this  free 
country.  / 

RESUME 

A  table  set  for  the  Seder  Service  should  be  placed 
at  the  front  of  the  class  room.  All  the  necessary  ob- 
jects should  be  placed  upon  it.  The  teacher  should 
explain  the  use  of  the  various  articles.  Dwell  on  the 
historic  basis  of  the  Passover.  The  Israelites  were 
slaves  in  Egypt  and  treated  cruelly  by  Pharaoh.  God 
appointed  Moses  as  their  leader  and  sent  him  with 
Aaron  to  demand  their  liberty.  Pharaoh  was  punished 
for  disobeying  God.  After  the  ten  plagues,  Pharaoh 
hurried  the  Israelites  out  of  Egypt.  Passover,  or 
Pesach,  is  observed  for  seven  days  and,  among  some  of 
our  co-religionists,  eight  days.  We  usher  in  the  fes- 
tival with  the  Seder  service,  which  symbolizes  the  sor- 
rows and  joys  of  the  Israelites.  We  honor  Moses, 
showing  how  he  must  have  inspired  Washington  and 
Lincoln,  for  he  was  the  first  leader  to  bring  a  nation 
from  slavery  to  freedom.  We  give  thanks  to  God 
for  our  liberty.  We  who  live  in  America  are  espe- 
cially grateful  for  this  land  where  freedom  is  the  as- 
sured right  of  even  the  humblest.  Call  attention  to 
the  promise  of  liberty  held  out  to  all  residents  of  this 
country  as  contained  in  the  Biblical  verse  used  as  the 
inscription  on  the  Liberty  Bell  in  Independence  Hall, 
Philadelphia.  It  is  in  this  wise:  "Proclaim  freedom 
throughout  the  land,  unto  all  the  inhabitants  thereof." 
(Lev.  XXV:  10.) 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  In  the  celebration  of  Passover  what  special 
service  do  Jews  conduct? 

2.  Draw  a  diagram  of  a  Seder  table.    Designate 
on  it  all  the  names  of  things  used  in  the  service. 

3.  Explain  why  the  lamb  bone  and  bitter  herbs 
are  used. 

4.  What  is  the  significance  of  the  egg  and  salt? 

5.  Tell  why  wine  is  used  and  mention  two  other 
occasions  on  which  wine  is  used  in  Jewish  ceremonials. 

6.  With  what  national  holiday  can  Pesach  be 
compared?    Why  is  unleavened  bread  eaten  on  Pass- 
over?   Are  our  Matzoth  now  like  those  of  our  an- 
cestors ? 

7.  What  object  is  revered  by  Americans  as  the 
symbol  of  liberty?    What  is  a  symbol? 

8.  Tell  the  burden  of  the  traditional  song  sung  at 
the  Seder  Service. 

9.  Who  should  take  part  in  the  Seder  Service? 

10.  How  should  we  personally  feel  at  the  cele- 
bration of  Passover? 


143 


Lesson  XIII 
Esther  (1) 


145 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lesson  XIII— Esther    (1) 

Special  Topic— The  Orphan  Girl  made  Queen. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson — To  show  that  the  poor  and 
the  rich  are  equal  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord. 

Memory  Gem — "He  raiseth  up  out  of  the  dust, 
the  poor."  Psalm  CXIII  :  7. 

Bible  References— Book  of  Esther,  Chaps.  I,  II, 
III. 

Objects — A  signet  ring,  or  seal  ring,  or  a  seal 
with  sealing  wax. 

Picture — Queen  Esther. 

Song — Review  of  same  previously  taught 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

Many  years  have  elapsed  in  the  history  of  the 
Israelites.  It  is  now  appropriate  to  teach  the  story 
of  Esther.  It  has  been  put  into  the  Primary  Course 
for  two  reasons.  First,  it  is  a  drama,  whose  plot  is  so 
easy,  interesting  and  swiftly  moving  that  small  chil- 
dren are  extremely  impressed  with  it.  Second,  the 
incidents  form  the  basis  of  the  observance  of  Purim, 
a  minor  festival  of  great  rejoicing.  While  not  filled 
with  the  spirit  of  sanctity  which  marks  our  great  holy 
days,  yet  Purim  as  a  day  for  rejoicing,  and  making 
others  happy,  makes  a  strong  appeal  to  little  children. 

An  historical  point  of  contact  with  other  Bible 
tales  is  impossible.  Rather  make  the  sequence  a  log- 

147 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

ical  one.  Thus  the  children  will  readily  recall  that 
Passover  is  observed  on  account  of  the  Israelites  gam- 
ing their  freedom. 

Tell  them  that  although  the  Israelites  were  never 
made  slaves  again  physically,  yet  their  religious  free- 
dom was  often  endangered  and  the  people  had  many 
trials,  sometimes  they  barely  escaped  with  their  lives. 

The  event  of  which  they  will  now  hear  is  one  of 
those  stirring  ones  which  shows  how  the  Jews  of  the 
land  of  Persia  at  one  time  were  nearly  exterminated 
and  how  they  were  saved  by  the  hand  of  God,  who 
caused  a  wonderful  woman  to  become  the  means  of 
helping  her  people. 

APPLICATION 

Long,  long  ago  the  Jews  lived  in  a  country  far 
from  here,  called  Persia.  Show  Persia  on  the,  map, 
and  point  out  the  distance  and  direction  from  the  Holy 
Land.  The  people  in  Persia  did  not  like  the  Jews. 
The  king  of  this  country  (Ahashverosh  or  Ahasuerus; 
do  not  require  the  children  to  learn  this  name  at  first) 
was  a  man  weaker  than  he  was  wicked.  He  allowed 
himself  to  be  easily  swayed  by  the  opinions  of  others. 
This  is  a  great  fault.  Every  person  must  know  right 
from  wrong  and  he  must  do  the  right  thing,  no  matter 
how  much  pressure  is  brought  to  bear  upon  him  to  do 
evil.  Cite  the  instance  of  Adam  and  Eve.  Adam 
knew  it  was  wrong  to  eat  the  forbidden  fruit,  but  he 
allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded.  If  the  children  have 
learned  the  story  of  Joseph,  they  may  recall  that 
Reuben  did  not  want  wrong  done  to  Joseph,  but  finally, 
when  Joseph  had  been  sold,  he  joined  the  others  in 
deceiving  his  father,  Jacob.  If  the  teacher  can  illus- 
trate by  an  account  of  some  occurrence  within  the  ex- 
perience of  children,  let  him  do  so. 

148 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

The  king  of  Persia  had  a  beautiful  wife  named 
Vashti.  In  those  far-off  countries  long  ago,  and  to 
some  extent  also  now,  the  wives  had  to  obey  their 
husbands.  There  were  other  curious  customs.  One 
was  that  no  woman  went  on  the  street  unveiled.  No 
man  but  her  husband  ever  saw  her  face. 

The  king  made  a  great  feast  for  all  the  princes 
and  other  great  men.  It  lasted  not  one  day,  but  many 
days  and  nights.  The  king  displayed  all  his  riches 
and  all  his  jewels.  The  palace  was  gorgeously  dec- 
orated (Esther  I  :  1-8).  The  men  drank  a  good  deal  of 
wine  and  all  were  very  lively;  too  much  so,  for  they 
became  intoxicated.  Even  the  king  himself  had 
drunk  too  much,  else  he  would  never  have  dared  to  do 
what  he  knew  was  wrong  to  his  queen,  whom  he  loved. 

He  had  shown  all  his  wealth,  he  had  boasted  of 
his  possessions.  But,  he  declared  to  his  guests  that 
he  had  yet  one  jewel  he  prized  above  all, — his  wife. 
He  resolved  to  exhibit  her  also.  So  he  sent  some  of 
his  servants  "to  bring  Vashti,  the  queen  (orna- 
mented), with  the  crown  before  the  king,  to  show  the 
princes  and  the  people  her  beauty;  for  she  was  hand- 
some in  appearance."  (Esther  I  :  11). 

"But  Queen  Vashti  refused  to  come  at  the  word 
of  the  king  *  *  *  and  the  king  was  very  wroth, 
and  his  fury  burnt  in  him."  (Esther  I  :  12). 

Of  course  the  queen  refused  to  come.  It  was 
an  insult  for  the  king  to  ask  her;  but  the  king  and 
princes  were  in  no  condition  to  think  of  that.  The 
king  was  very  angry  that  any  one  should  dare  to  dis- 
obey him,  and  he  was  ashamed  that  his  courtiers 
should  see  such  disobedience.  He  resolved  to  punish 
his  good  queen,  and  instead  of  thinking  the  matter 
over  himself,  he  asked  his  princes  what  should  be 
done  to  Vashti.  They  replied  that  "The  conduct  of 

149 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

the  queen  will  go  abroad  unto  all  the  women,  so  that 
they  will  despise  their  husbands"  and  disobey  them 
just  as  the  queen  had  disobeyed  the  king.  They  de- 
cided that  Vashti  should  no  more  be  queen,  and  they 
passed  a  law  to  that  effect.  Letters  were  sent  all 
over  the  land  warning  the  women,  saying  that  Vashti 
had  been  deposed  for  her  disobedience  and  "that 
every  man  should  bear  rule  in  his  own  house." 

Soon  after  he  had  deposed  Vashti,  the  king  felt 
very  sorry  that  he  had  done  so.  He  wished  sincerely 
that  he  had  not  listened  to  the  advice  of  his  wicked 
counsellors.  His  heart  yearned  for  his  queen.  He 
felt  very  lonesome.  But  it  was  too  late  then.  A  law 
made  in  that  country  (according  to  the  laws  of  the 
Medes  and  Persians)  could  not  be  changed. 

When  the  princes  saw  how  lonely  the  king  felt, 
they  resolved  to  get  a  new  and  beautiful  queen  for 
him.  So  they  told  the  king  to  order  all  the  young 
and  beautiful  girls  in  the  country  of  Persia  to  be 
brought  to  the  capital  city,  Shushan,  in  which  the 
king  lived.  The  king,  said  they,  should  choose  the 
one  he  liked  best,  and  make  her  his  queen  in  the  place 
of  Vashti. 

Let  the  teacher  explain  that  Shushan  was  the 
capital  or  principal  city  of  Persia,  just  as  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  is  the  capital  of  the  United  States  and  Har- 
risburg  of  Pennsylvania.  (The  teacher  may  substitute 
the  capital  of  the  State  in  which  he  is  teaching).  All 
the  laws  governing  the  country  are  made  at  the  capital. 
The  governor,  or  president,  or  king,  lives  in  the  capital 
of  a  state  or  country.  There  was  "a  certain  Jew  in 
Shushan  *  *  *  who  had  been  carried  away  into 
exile  from  Jerusalem."  (Esther  II:  3-6.)  This  man, 
Mordecai,  had  reared  his  niece,  named  Esther,  for  her 
father  and  mother  were  both  dead.  She  was  beautiful 

150 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

in  form  and  handsome  in  appearance,  and  Mordecai 
loved  her  as  his  own  daughter.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  the  king's  order  and  decree  were  heard,  and 
when  many  maidens  were  brought  together  unto  Shus- 
han,  the  capital  *  *  *  that  Esther  was  also 
brought  unto  the  king's  house.  (Adapted  from  Esther 
II  :8-9.)  Esther  made  friends  with  the  keepers  of 
the  women,  because  she  was  beautiful  in  face  and  just 
as  beautiful  in  character.  She  was  kind,  gentle,  oblig- 
ing and  simple  in  her  manners.  All  the  other  girls 
asked  for  presents  and  jewelry  with  which  to  adorn 
themselves,  but  Esther  desired  nothing.  She  thought: 
"I  would  like  the  king  to  love  me,  just  for  myself,  not 
for  my  clothes  or  jewelry,  because  they  really  are  not 
I.  Any  one  who  has  money  can  buy  such  things." 

This  was  the  secret  of  Esther's  great  charm  and 
success.  She  was  kind.  She  made  no  difference  be- 
tween rich  and  poor.  A  shabbily  dressed  person  may 
be  as  good,  indeed  he  may  be  better,  than  a  richly 
dressed  one.  A  child  poorly  clad  may  have  brains 
and  good  manners,  more  head  and  heart  than  one  who 
wears  silks  and  furs,  bracelets  and  rings.  Never 
judge  a  person  by  external  appearance.  "Man  looketh 
on  the  outward  appearance;  God  looketh  on  the 
heart."  (I  Samuel  16:7).  Of  course,  Esther  was  a 
Jewess,  but  no  one  knew  it  at  the  palace,  because  her 
uncle,  Mordecai,  had  forbidden  her  to  tell  it.  He 
was  not  ashamed  of  his  faith.  Indeed,  he  was  proud 
of  it,  as  the  children  will  learn  later  on.  But  he  had 
reason  to  believe  that  if  it  were  known  that  Esther 
was  a  Jewess,  she  would  never  become  queen.  He 
wanted  her  raised  to  high  position  because  he  thought 
she  might  then  help  her  now-despised  race. 

"Esther  told  nothing  of  her  people  or  her  descent, 
for  Mordecai  had  charged  her  that  she  should  not 

151 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades— II. 

tell."  (Esther  II  :10).  Mordecai  walked  near  the 
house  in  which  Esther  lived,  every  day,  so  that  he 
might  know  whether  all  was  well  with  her.  At  last 
it  came  Esther's  turn  to  go  unto  the  king.  She  was 
so  sweet  and  modest  that  the  king  fell  in  love  with 
her  at  once.  The  Bible  tells  us  that  "the  king  loved 
Esther  above  all  women.  She  obtained  grace  and 
favor  before  him  more  than  all  the  virgins.  He  placed 
the  royal  crown  upon  her  head,  and  made  her  queen 
instead  of  Vashti."  (Esther  II  :  17.) 

So  the  sweet,  simple  maiden  rose  to  the  highest 
place  in  the  kingdom,  next  to  the  king.  Recall  how 
Joseph  had  been  lifted  from  prison  to  palace. 

In  the  story  of  Esther  the  scenes  shift  rapidly 
from  place  to  place.  The  teacher  must  be  exceedingly 
clear  in  her  narration  that  the  children  may  under- 
stand each  change  of  scene  and  plot. 

Sometimes  it  is  found  helpful  to  draw  a  diagram 
on  the  blackboard  and  to  indicate  in  color  the  various 
places. 

It  may  be  well  also  to  write  in  full  view  the 
name  of  each  character  in  the  order  of  introduction. 

PEOPLE : 

1.  King  Ahasuerus. 

2.  Haman. 

3.  Mordecai,  the  Jew. 

4.  Queen  Vashti. 

5.  Esther,  Mordecai's  cousin. 

DIAGRAM: 

1.  Country  of  Persia. 

2.  City  of  Shushan. 

3.  Garden. 

4.  Palace. 

152 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

5.  Gate. 

6.  Mordecai's  House. 

7.  Haman's  House. 

"In  those  days,  while  Mordecai  was  sitting  in  the 
king's  gate,  two  chamberlains  (or  servants)  of  the 
king  *  *  *  became  "wroth  (angry)  and  sought 
to  lay  their  hands  on  King  Achashverosh,"  (Esther 
II  :21.) 

This  means  that  these  two  men  made  a  plot  to 
kill  the  king.  Mordecai  overheard  all  that  they  said 
and  he  quickly  let  Queen  Esther  know  about  it.  She 
in  turn  told  the  king,  whose  life  was  thus  saved, 
and  the  two  plotters  were  put  to  death.  But  Mordecai, 
strange  to  say,  was  not  rewarded  for  this  deed.  "And 
it  was  written  in  the  Book  of  Chronicles  before  the 
king."  (Esther  II :  23,  last  part.) 

The  king's  chief  adviser  was  a  conceited,  wicked 
man  named  Haman.  He  was  so  proud  that  when  the 
king  advanced  him  above  the  other  princes,  he 
wanted  all  the  people  in  the  king's  gate  to  bow  down 
to  him.  Of  course,  the  children  know  that  the  Jews 
prostrate  themselves  only  to  God.  So  "Mordecaji 
tent  neither  the  knee  nor  prostrated  himself.  Then 
said  the  king's  servants  who  were  in  the  king's  gate 
unto  Mordecai,  Why  transgresseth  thou  the  king's 
command?"  (Esther  III  :2  and  3). 

Mordecai  told  them  that  he  bowed  down  to  none 
save  the  one  true  God  of  heaven  and  earth.  He  told 
them  that  he  was  a  Jew,  hence  his  belief. 

"And  when  Haman  saw  that  Mordecai  bent  not 
the  knee,  nor  prostrated  himself  to  him,  Haman  be- 
came full  of  fury."  (Esther  III  :  5). 

Haman  was  so  angry  because  this  one  man  re- 
fused to  do  him  honor,  that  he  resolved  to  kill  him. 

153 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

But  he  felt  that  it  was  too  small  a  matter  to  kill  only 
Mordecai.  Therefore  he  determined  to  kill  all  of 
the  Jews  throughout  the  land  of  Persia. 

Think  what  a  terrible  revenge  this  was !  Not  only 
the  one  guilty  man  but  his  family,  his  friends,  his 
people, — all  to  be  murdered  to  satisfy  the  pride  and 
revenge  of  one  man.  Haman  could  not  kill  them 
without  some  excuse,  so  he  made  up  wicked  charges 
against  the  Jews,  which  were  untrue. 

He  said  to  the  king:  "There  is  one  people  scat- 
tered, yet  separate,  among  the  nations  in  all  the 
provinces  of  thy  kingdom ;  and  their  laws  are  different 
from  the  laws  of  every  people,  while  they  do  not 
execute  the  laws  of  the  king;  and  it  is  no  profit  for 
the  king  to  tolerate  them. 

"If  it  be  pleasing  to  the  king  let  (a  decree)  be 
written  to  destroy  them;  and  ten  thousand  talents  of 
silver  will  I  weigh  out  into  the  hands  of  those  that 
have  charge  of  the  business,  to  bring  (the  same)  into 
the  king's  treasuries."  (Esther  III :  8-9.) 

Just  think  what  a  fiend  this  Haman  was!  He 
flattered  the  king  by  representing  the  goodness  and 
justice  of  his  laws.  He  trumped  up  charges  that 
the  Jews  had  different  laws,  and  did  not  obey  those 
of  the  king.  Then  as  a  final  effort  he  offered  the 
king  ten  thousand  pieces  of  silver,  because  Haman 
thought  the  king  was  as  greedy  for  wealth  as  was 
he  himself. 

The  king,  as  was  previously  told,  was  weaker 
than  he  was  wicked.  He  did  not  stop  to  inquire  into 
the  truth  of  Hainan's  charges  against  the  Jews.  He 
did,  what  many  do  altogether  too  readily.  He 
believed  what  he  was  told.  He  wanted  to  please  his 
favorite  prince.  He  did  not  even  want  the  silver. 
He  was  not  so  greedy. 

154 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

He  replied  to  Haman  that  he  did  not  want  the 
silver,  but,  he  said  that  if  these  people,  the  Jews, 
were  as  bad  as  Haman  said  they  were,  it  would  really 
be  doing  a  kindness  to  rid  the  land  of  them. 

"And  the  king  said  unto  Haman,  The  silver  is 
given  to  thee;  the  people  also  to  do  therewith  as  it 
seemeth  good  in  thy  eyes."  (Esther  III  :  11). 

Then  a  decree  or  law  was  written  out,  just  as  had 
been  done  when  Vashti  was  deposed.  It  was  written 
in  every  language  used  in  the  country.  It  was  sealed 
with  the  king's  seal  or  signet  ring,  and  these  letters 
were  sent  all  over  the  country  of  Persia.  The  letters 
said  that  on  a  certain  day  every  Jew  was  to  be  killed. 
(Here  show  the  seal  ring  and  show  its  uses). 

''And  the  letters  were  sent  by  the  runners  unto  all 
the  king's  provinces,  to  destroy,  to  kill,  to  exterminate 
all  the  Jews,  from  young  to  old,  little  ones  and  women, 
on  one  day;  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  twelfth 
month,  which  is  the  month  of  Adar,  and  to  plunder 
their  property  as  spoil."  (Esther  III  :  13). 

Think  of  the  danger  in  which  Jews  were  placed 
by  the  vanity  and  wickedness  of  one  man !  But  "the 
God  of  Israel  sleeps  not,  neither  does  He  slumber." 
He  heard  His  people's  cry  and  he  raised  up  a  deliverer 
to  save  them  from  the  hands  of  their  enemies. 

A  copy  of  the  writing  was  published  in  every 
part  of  the  country  that  the  people  might  all  be  ready 
on  the  same  day  to  do  their  horrible  work.  The  law 
was  also  given  out  in  Shushan,  the  capital  of  Persia. 

Haman  was  much  pleased.  The  Bible  says: 
"And  the  king  and  Haman  sat  down  to  drink,  but 
the  city  of  Shushan  was  perplexed."  (Esther  III  :  15). 

RESUME 

There  are  three  distinct  incidents  in  this  lesson,  or 
rather  three  distinct  scenes  of  the  story  are  presented. 

155 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

The  scene  opens  in  Shushan,  the  capital  of  Per- 
sia. Many  years  had  elapsed  in  the  history  of  the 
Jews.  They  had  been  driven  from  their  own  land, 
and  some  were  living  in  Persia.  The  king,  Ahasuerus, 
was  a  weak,  wicked  man.  He  was  guided  by  his 
princes,  whether  they  were  right  or  wrong.  He  was 
too  lazy  to  think  and  to  investigate  matters  for  him- 
self. He  did  not  really  love  his  people,  or  he  would 
have  governed  them  more  wisely. 

He  was  rather  fond  of  drinking,  and  often  took 
too  much. 

On  one  of  these  drunken  sprees,  at  the  close  of 
a  great  feast,  he  ordered  his  good  queen,  Vashti,  to 
come  and  show  her  beauty  to  all  the  courtiers.  The 
modest  Vashti  rightly  refused  to  obey  him,  and  at 
the  advice  of  his  courtiers  he  deposed  her. 

When  he  came  to  his  senses  he  was  very  sorry, 
and  very  lonely,  for  he  had  really  loved  Vashti.  The 
laws  of  the  land,  however,  could  not  be  repealed.  So 
he  determined  to  take  another  queen.  He  had  the 
most  beautiful  girls  in  the  country  come  before  him. 
He  chose  Esther  in  preference  to  all  and  crowned  her 
as  queen. 

We  behold  Esther  as  queen.  Now  Esther  was 
a  Jewess,  but  she  did  not  make  it  known ;  because  her 
cousin,  Mordecai,  who  acted  as  her  father,  forbade 
her  to  tell  any  one  her  religion.  Why? 

The  second  scene  is  outside  of  the  palace.  Mor- 
decai, fortunately,  chanced  to  overhear  a  plot  to  kill 
the  king.  He  sent  word  of  it  to  officers  in  the  palace, 
thus  saving  the  king's  life.  But  he  received  no  re- 
ward for  this  act. 

The  third  scene  presents  Haman  before  the  king. 
Haman,  the  king's  wicked  prince,  sought  to  destroy 
all  the  Jews,  because  Mordecai,  the  Jew,  refused  to 

156 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

bend  the  knee  to  him.  Mordecai  would  bow  down 
only  to  the  one  true  God,  the  Maker  of  heaven  and 
earth. 

It  meant  a  calamity  for  the  Jews  when  the  king 
allowed  Haman  to  send  a  letter  throughout  the  land 
telling  the  people  that  on  a  certain  day,  they  were  to 
kill  all  the  Jews,  young  and  old.  But  God  did  not 
permit  the  destruction  of  His  people;  He  heard  their 
cry  and  He  saved  them. 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  In  teaching  the  story  of  Esther,  how  is  the 
point  of  contact  made?    How  does  the  method  differ 
from  that  usually  used? 

2.  How  does  the  character  of  Ahashverosh  re- 
mind one  of  Adam?    How  of  Reuben? 

3.  State  briefly  the  troubles  of  Vashti,  and  her 
punishment.     In  your  opinion  was  she  right  or  wrong 
in  disobeying  the  King? 

4.  Name  some  of  the  characteristics  of  the  king 
which  are  shown  in  this  lesson.     Why  did  he  punish 
Vashti? 

5.  Who  was  Mordecai?    What  post  did  he  fill? 
What  was  his  relationship  to  Esther? 

6.  Give  a  short  account  of  Esther.     State  her 
chief  traits  and  her  actions  at  the  period  in  which 
she  is  chosen  queen. 

7.  Tell  how  you  would  explain  to  a  class  the 
real  way  to  judge  people.     What  part  would  clothes 
and  adornments  play  in  such  judgments? 

157 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

8.  Why  did  Mordecai  tell  Esther  not  to  divulge 
her  race?    Tell  of  the  plot  to  kill  the  king.    What 
did  Mordecai  have  to  do  with  it. 

9.  Draw  diagram  showing  places,  and  naming 
people  who  have  figured  in  this  drama  as  far  as  it 
has  been  unfolded. 

10.  Describe  Hainan's  traits.    Why  did  he  dis- 
like Mordecai?    What  revenge  did  he  decide  to  take? 


158 


LESSON  XIV. 
Esther  (2) 


159 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lesson  XIV—  Esther,  (2) 

Special  Topic — Raman's  Conspiracy  and  Mor- 
decai's  Triumph. 

Purpose  of  the  Lesson — To  show  that  right  is 
greater  than  might. 

Memory  Gem — "The  Lord  will  make  the  counsels 
of  the  nations  come  to  nought."  (Psalm  33  : 10). 

Bible  References — Book  of  Esther,  Chaps.  IV 
and  V. 

Article  on  "Esther"  Jewish  Encyclopedia. 
Picture — Tissot's  Mordecai's  Triumph,  No.  99. 

Song — Suitable  song  of  Thanksgiving  from 
Union  Hymnal  or  any  other  Jewish  Hymn  Book. 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

As  this  lesson  follows  in  close  sequence  the  pre- 
vious one,  the  point  of  contact  is  easily  made  by  a 
hasty  review  of  the  facts  in  said  lesson. 

Point  to  the  diagram,  which  should  have  been 
left  on  the  blackboard,  and  let  the -children  tell  you 
what  they  know  about  the  places  noted.  Conduct  the 
review  by  asking  the  following  questions: 

Who  can  tell  something  about  Persia? 

What  was  Shushan? 

By  what  was  the  palace  surrounded? 

Tell  the  names  /of  the  two  men  who  lived  in 
Shushan. 

161 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

State  something  about  Mordecai. 

Narrate  something  about  Haman.  , 

Who  was  the  first  queen  mentioned  in  the  story? 

Who  was  the  king? 

Who  was  Esther? 

How  did  Esther  become  queen? 

What  wicked  thing  did , Haman  wish  to  do? 

It  is  suggested  that  the  teacher  should  try  this 
catechetical  method  in  order  to  vary  the  style  of  mak- 
ing the  point  of  contact,  thus  to  avoid  automatic  or 
mechanical  teaching.  Questioning  the  children,  as 
suggested  above,  will  relieve  the  monotony  and  lead 
up  to  the  desired  point  of  this  lesson. 

APPLICATION 

Haman  was  so  angry  because  Mordecai  refused 
to  bow  down  to  him,  that  he  resolved  to  kill  all  the 
Jews.  Of  course,  he  did  not  know  that  Queen  Esther 
belonged  to  the  race  he  despised. 

When  Mordecai  heard  of  the  cruel  plans  to  de- 
stroy all  the  Jews,  he  tore  his ,  clothes  and  put  on 
rough,  mourning  garments.  In  olden  days,  the  people 
donned  coarse  sackcloth  and  sprinkled  ashes  on  them- 
selves. Thus  they  humbled  themselves  and  showed 
signs  of  their  distress.  When  the  king's  law  became 
known,  there  was  fasting  and  weeping  among  the 
Jews,  who  mourned  in  sackcloth  and  ashes  and  prayed 
to  God  to  prevent  this  destruction  of  their  race. 

"Then  came  4he  maidens  :of  Esther  *  *  * 
and  told  it  her;  and  the  queen  was  exceedingly  ter- 
rified and  she  sent  garments  to  clothe  Mordecai,  and 
to  remove  his  sackcloth  from  him;  but  he  accepted 
them  not."  (Esther  IV  :  4). 

Mordecai  continued  to  cry  with  a  loud  and  a  bitter 
cry,  and  walked  near  the  king's  gate,  but  he  did  not 

162 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

dare  enter,  clothed  as  he  was.  Then  Esther  sent  out 
a  servant  to  inquire  of  Mordecai,  what  was  the  matter, 
and  why  he  refused  all  comfort.  "And  Mordecai  told 
him  all  that  had  happened  unto  him,  and  of  the  fixed 
sum  of  money  which  Haman  had  promised  to  weigh 
out  into  the  treasuries  of  the  king,  for  the  Jews, 
to  destroy  them." 

"Also  the  copy  of  the  writing  of  the  law,that  had 
been  given  out  in  Shushan  to  destroy  them  he  gave 
to  him,  to  show  unto  Esther  and  to  tell  ,her  (all),  and 
to  charge  her  that  she  should  go  in  unto  the  king, 
to  make  supplication  unto  the  king,  and  to  present  a 
request  before  him,  for  her  people."  (Esther 
IV  :  7  and  8). 

And  the  man  came  back  and  told  the  queen 
all  that  her  uncle,  Mordecai,  had  said. 

Esther  grew  deeply  depressed  and  afraid.  She 
was  torn  by  conflicting  emotions.  She  loved  the  king. 
She  was  afraid  to  tell  him  that  she  was  a  Jewess. 
Yet  she  loved  also  her  people.  Never  could  she  bear 
to  see  them  slaughtered.  And  she  loved  Mordecai 
more  than  all.  He  had  been  both  father  and  mother 
to  her,  when  her  own  dear  parents  had  died.  She 
obeyed  him  in  all  things  just  the  same  as  when  she 
was  a  child.  The  Bible  tells  us,  "And  Esther  did 
fulfill  the  order  of  Mordecai,  equally  as  when  she 
was  under  his  guardianship."  (Esther  II  :20). 

An  important  and  useful  lesson  should  be  taught 
from  this  sentence.  So  often  when  a  child  grows  up, 
he  thinks  he  has  become  too  wise  to  heed  his  parents, 
forgetting  their  larger  experience  as  well  as  their 
years  of  love  and  self-sacrifice.  He  thinks:  "Oh,  I 
am  grown  now,  I  need  not  obey  my  parents  any 
longer."  The  Fifth  Commandment :  "Honor  thy  father 
and  thy  mother"  has  no  age  limit.  We  should  obey 

163 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — 77. 

and  honor  our  parents  always,  whether  we  are  young 
or  old. 

That  Esther  was  tossed  by  conflicting  emotions 
is  easily  understood.  She  did  not  know  just  what  to 
do.  She  sent  her  messengers  back  to  Mordecai  with 
the  following  words :  "All  the  king's  servants,  and  the 
people  of  the  king's  provinces,  do  know,  that  every 
one,  whether  man  or  woman,  who  should  come  into 
the  king,  into  the  inner  court,  who  is  not  called,  there 
is  but  one  law  for  him,  to  put  him  to  death,  except 
the  one  to  whom  the  king  should  hold  out  the  golden 
sceptre,  for  he  will  be  suffered  to  live ;  but  I  have  not 
been  called  to  come  to  the  king,  these  thirty  days." 
(Esther  IV  :  11). 

This  verse  needs  little  explanation.  Recall  that 
the  inner  court  was  the  most  private  room  of  the  king. 
The  outer  court  was  entered  first.  To  make  this  clear 
refer  to  the  familiar  fact  that  in  these  days  most  busi- 
ness men  have  a  private  office,  and  an  outer  office. 
The  mayor,  the  governor,  the  president,  all  officials, 
have  an  outer  and  an  inner  office. 

Of  course  much  ceremony  surrounded  the  king. 
To  venture  to  enter  into  the  inner  court,  without  hav- 
ing been  sent  for,  was  a  risky  matter.  The  intruder 
would  be  put  to  death,  unless  the  king  raised  his 
golden  sceptre,  as  a  sign  that  the  king  was  willing  or 
pleased  to  see  the  one  who  came. 

Esther  knew  these  customs.  Hence  she  sent  back 
the  message  to  Mordecai.  But  he,  nothing  daunted, 
deemed  even  her  life  not  too  precious,  to  risk  for  her 
race.  He  replied:  "Imagine  not  in  thy  soul  to  be 
able  to  escape  in  the  king's  house  out  of  all  the  Jews. 
For  if  thou  do  indeed  maintain  silence  at  this  time 
*  *  *  deliverance  will  arise  to  the  Jews  from  an- 
other place;  but  thou  and  thy  father's  house  will 

164 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

perish ;  and  who  knoweth  whether  thou  has  not  for  a 
time  like  this  attained  to  the  royal  dignity."     (Esther 

IV  :14). 

Mordecai  felt  that  God  had  raised  Esther  to  the 
throne,  so  that  from  her  high  position  she  might  be 
able  to  be  of  use  to  all  her  race. 

Then  Esther  sent  back  word  to  Mordecai,  that 
she  would  obey  him,  that  she  would  risk  her  life  and 
go  in  to  the  king,  saying :  "If  I  perish,  I  perish." 

Esther  bade  Mordecai  tell  all  the  Jews  in  Shushan 
to  fast  and  to  pray  for  her.  All  prayed  fervently  to 
God  to  spare  the  queen  and  to  enable  her  to  save  them 
from  death. 

Esther  dressed  herself  in  beautiful  robes,  and 
went  into  the  king's  room,  when  he  was  sitting  on  the 
throne,  and  she  looked  so  gentle  and  lovely,  that 
when  the  king  saw  her  he  held  his  sceptre  toward 
her;  whereupon  Esther  came  near  and  touched  the 
top  of  it. 

"Then  said  the  king  unto  her:  What  wilt  thou, 
Queen  Esther?  and  what  is  thy  request?  If  it  be 
equal  to  half  of  the  kingdom  it  shall  still  be  given 
thee."  (Esther  V  :3). 

Esther  rejoiced.  She  had  entered  into  the  king's 
presence  with  fear  and  trembling.  As  the  king  raised 
his  sceptre  she  knew  that  her  life  was  safe.  Because 
he  spoke  to  her  so  kindly  she  felt  a  dawning  hope 
that  she  might  indeed  be  the  deliverer  of  her  people. 
But  her  heart  still  failed  her  to  ask  such  a  great  boon. 
She  hesitated  and  replied,  "If  it  seem  good  unto  the 
king,  let  the  king  and  Haman  come  this  day  unto  the 
banquet  which  I  have  prepared  for  him."  (Esther 

V  :4). 

Esther  thought  that  perhaps  this  mark  of  atten- 
tion would  please  the  king  and  flatter  Haman,  thus 

165 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

singled  out,  as  the  only  one  to  be  invited  to  her  ban- 
quet. Her  invitation  had  the  desired  effect  on  both 
the  men. 

"Then  said  the  king,  Bring  Haman  quickly  hither 
to  fulfill  the  word  of  Esther.  So  came  the  king  with 
Haman  to  the  banquet  which  Esther  had  prepared." 

After  they  had  eaten  and  drunk,  the  king  said 
to  Esther:  "What  is  thy  petition?  and  it  shall  be 
granted  thee :  and  what  is  thy  request  ?  Even  if  it  be 
equal  to  half  of  the  kingdom  it  shall  still  be  done." 

Esther  felt  now  that  the  king  really  loved  her 
and  wanted  to  please  her.  But  her  heart  failed  her 
again  and  she  delayed  her  petition.  So  instead  of 
asking  what  she  so  ardently  desired,  she  merely  re- 
plied :  "My  petition  and  my  request  are,  if  I  have 
found  grace  in  the  eyes  of  the  king,  and  if  it  please  the 
king  to  grant  my  petition,  and  to  fulfill  my  request, 
that  the  king  may  come,  with  Haman  to  the  banquet 
which  I  will  prepare  for  them,  and  tomorrow  will  I  do 
according  to  the  word  of  the  king." — Esther 
V  :  7  and  8). 

So  the  king  and  Haman  promised  to  come  to 
Esther's  banquet  on  the  next  day,  and  Esther  said 
she  would  then  ask  a  great  favor  of  the  king. 

The  Bible  tells  us  that  "Haman  went  forth  on 
that  ,day  joyful  and  with  a  glad  heart;  but  when 
Haman  saw  Mordecai  in  the  king's  gate,  who  did  not 
rise  up  or  move  out  of  the  way  for  him  then  was 
Haman  filled  against  Mordecai  with  fury."  (Esther 
V  :9). 

Haman  left  the  banquet  joyfully.  He  felt  .proud 
of  the  special  honor  paid  him.  In  his  mind  he  saw 
himself  rising  to  greater  and  greater  power,  ever 
nearer  to  the  throne.  Who  could, tell — some  day — he 
might — but  he  dared  not  think  further.  Just  then  he 

166 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

came  through  the  gate  of  the  king.  All  the  servants 
saluted,  but  Mordecai  neither  saluted  nor  turned 
around.  This  enraged  the  haughty  Haman.  He  again 
vowed  to  revenge  himself  not  only  against  Mordecai, 
but  on  the  whole  Jewish  race. 

Haman  walked  to  his  house.  He  sent  for  his 
wife  and  for  his  most  intimate  friends.  He  wanted  to 
tell  them  all  about  the  banquet.  He  wanted  to  boast 
of  his  honor.  He  wanted  to  display  all  his  wealth 
to  them. 

Enlarge  upon  the  character  of  Haman — a  boast- 
ful, conceited,  aspiring  man;  blind  to  everything  ex- 
cept the  fulfillment  of  his  own  selfish  desires,  who 
stopped  at  nothing  to  gain  his  ends.  Haman  had  sur- 
rounded himself  with  friends  who  knew  how  to  flatter 
him  and  to  pander  to  his  evil  desires.  When  his  wife 
and  friends  had  come,  he  recounted  to  them  the  glory 
of  his  riches,  the  number  of  his  children,  all  the  things 
wherein  the  king  had  made  him  great,  and  how  the 
king  had  advanced  him  above  all  the  other  princes  and 
the  servants. 

And  Haman  said:  "Yes,  Esther,  the  queen,  did 
not  let  any  one  come  in  with  the  king  unto  the  banquet 
that  she  had  prepared  but  myself  !  And  also  for  tomor- 
row am  I  invited  unto  her  with  the  king."  (Esther 
V  : 11-12). 

Alas  for  the  boastful  Haman!  "Pride  indeed 
cometh  before  a  fall."  He  little  knew  that  the  next 
evening's  banquet  was  the  last  he  would  ever  eat.  He 
little  knew  that  before  the  next  night  he  would  be 
very  much  humiliated  before  the  hated  Mordecai. 

It  is  distasteful  and  wrong  to  boast  of  anything. 
God  gives  us  all  of  our  blessings.  True,  we  must 
work  to  secure  riches  and  honor ;  but  having  obtained 

167 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

them  we  should  be  grateful  to  God  for  our  success 
and  not  boast  before  men  of  them. 

But,  as  you  know,  Haman  was  not  satisfied,  for 
he  said :  "Yet  all  this  profiteth  me  nothing ;  every  time 
that  I  see  Mordecai,  the  Jew,  sitting  in  the  king's 
gate."  (Esther  V  :  13). 

His  wife  told  Haman  that  as  the  king  had  given 
him  permission  to  kill  all  the  Jews,  she  would  advise 
him  to  build  a  high  gallows.  "And  in  the  morning 
speak  unto  the  king  that  they  may  hang  Mordecai 
thereon;  and  then  go  thou  in  with  the  king  unto  the 
banquet  joyfully." 

The  thing  pleased  Haman.  He  had  the  gallows 
erected.  Haman  was  willing  and  anxious  to  injure 
Mordecai.  Despite  all  his  honors  he  could  enjoy 
none,  while  he  knew  Mordecai,  the  Jew,  refused  to 
pay  him  honor. 

Now  it  happened  that  very  night,  before  the  sec- 
ond banquet,  that  the  king  could  not  sleep,  but  he 
ordered  one  of  his  attendants  to  bring  him  the  book 
of  the  memorable  events,  (the  chronicles)  to  be  read 
to  him.  In  this  book  all  the  chief  happenings  in  the 
kingdom  were  recorded.  This  book  was  a  manuscript 
like  a  scroll.  Printing  had  not  yet  been  invented. 

And  the  servant  read  from  the  scroll  how  Mor- 
decai had  revealed  the  plot  to  kill  Ahasuerus,  and  thus 
had  saved  the  king's  live. 

When  this  was  recalled  to  the  king's  mind  he 
wondered  what  reward  had  been  given  Mordecai  for 
his  gallant  deed.  The  king  did  not  remember  be- 
stowing any  special  honor  upon  him.  So  the  king 
asked:  "What  honor  and  distinction  have  been  done 
to  Mordecai  for  this  ?" 

Then  said  the  king's  young  men,  his  servants: 
"There  has  nothing  been  done  with  him." 

168 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

The  neglect  angered  the  king.  He  thought  that 
if  a  man  had  saved  the  life  of  one  of  the  princes,  he 
would  have  been  liberally  rewarded.  Hence  he  felt 
ashamed  that  his  life  was  held  so  cheaply.  And  again 
he  felt  that  Mordecai  must  surely  think  him  ungrate- 
ful not  to  have  given  him  some  recompense  or  honor. 

At  this  time  the  king  said :  "Who  is  in  the  court  ?" 
Now  Haman  was  come  into  the  outer  court  of  the 
king's  house,  to  say  unto  the  king  to  hang  Mordecai 
on  the  gallows  which  he  had  prepared  for  him. 

And  the  king's  young  men  said  unto  him:  "Be- 
hold, Haman  is  standing  in  the  court."  And  the  king 
said :  "Let  him  come  in." 

So  Haman  came  in ;  and  the  king  said  unto  him : 
"What  shall  be  done  unto  the  man  whom  the  king  de- 
sireth  to  honor  ?"  And  Haman  said  in  his  heart :  "To 
whom  would  the  king  desire  to  do  honor  more  than 
to  myself  ?"  (Esther  VI  :  4-7) . 

Haman's  conceit  is  shown  in  this  thought,  and 
also  in  his  answer  to  the  king. 

"Let  them  bring  a  royal  apparel  which  the  king 
hath  worn,  and  a  horse  which  the  king  hath  ridden, 
and  let  there  be  placed  a  royal  crown  on  his  head. 

"And  let  the  apparel  and  the  horse  be  given  into 
the  hand  of  one  of  the  king's  princes,  or  the  most 
noble,  that  he  may  array  the  man  whom  the  king  de- 
sireth  to  honor,  and  let  him  cause  him  to  ride  on  the 
horse  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  and  proclaim 
him:  'Thus  shall  be  done  to  the  man  whom  the  king 
delighteth  to  honor/"  (Esther  VI  :  8  and  9.) 

Haman  had  certainly  thought  out  a  wonderful 
distinction  and  honor.  It  was  that  which  would  have 
pleased  him  more  than  anything  else.  Imagine,  then, 
Haman's  disappointment,  chagrin  and  humiliation, 

169 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

when  the  king  said  to  him :  "Make  haste  and  take  the 
apparel  and  the  horse,  as  thou  hast  spoken,  and  do 
this  to  Mordecai,  the  Jew,  that  sitteth  in  the  king's 
gate;  leave  out  nothing  of  all  thou  hast  spoken." 
(Esther  VI  :  10.) 

Haman  had  to  obey  the  king.  Picture  how  he 
disliked  to  show  this  honor  to  the  man,  whom  he 
hated, — to  the  man  for  whose  murder  he  had  entered 
the  king's  court! 

The  tables  were  being  turned  on  him  quickly. 
He  could  hardly  control  his  voice  as  he  went  through 
the  streets,  leading  the  king's  horse,  with  Mordecai 
seated  upon  it,  clad  in  the  splendor  of  the  king's  robes, 
while  he,  Haman,  walked  and  cried  out:  "Thus  shall 
be  done  to  the  man  whom  the  king  desireth  to  honor." 

After  Mordecai's  triumphal  ride,  he  returned  to 
the  king's  gate,  but  Haman  went  quickly  to  his  house, 
with  bent  head,  ashamed  of  himself  and  his  discom- 
fiture. 

When  Haman  related  all  this  to  his  wife,  she  be- 
came very  sad  and  told  him  that  "if  Mordecai,  before 
whom  thou  hast  begun  to  fall,  be  of  the  seed  of  the 
Jews,  thou  wilt  not  prevail  against  him,  but  thou  wilt 
surely  fall  before  him."  (Esther  VI  :  13.) 

This  was  far  from  being  comforting  to  Haman. 
He  felt  very  gloomy,  but  he  had  little  time  to  think 
about  his  feelings,  for  while  he  and  his  wife  were 
still  talking  on  the  matter  a  message  from  the  king 
arrived  to  take  Haman  to  the  second  banquet  which 
Esther  had  prepared  for  him  and  the  king. 

RESUME 

This  story  reads  almost  like  a  fairy  tale  and  the 
children  will  be  greatly  interested  in  it. 

170 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — 77. 

They  can  easily  picture  to  themselves  the  proud, 
wicked  Haman ;  the  good,  pious  Mordecai ;  the  sweet, 
modest  Esther. 

Sometimes,  indeed,  if  the  teacher  has  told  the 
story  graphically,  the  children  will  take  the  characters 
and  "act  out  a  scene"  with  a  little  help. 

For  Esther's  appeal  to  the  king,  a  draped  chair 
makes  a  throne,  a  blackboard  pointer  serves  as  a 
sceptre,  and  the  dialogue  proceeds  easily. 

Some  of  the  children  may  be  the  courtiers.  A 
resume,  conducted  in  this  manner  is  little  less  than 
thrilling  to  the  class,  who  love  the  dramatic. 

Raman's  determination  to  kill  the  Jews  is  brought 
about  by  his  hatred  for  Mordecai,  who  will  not  bow 
down  to  him.  The  Jews  pray  only  to  one  God :  "Shema 
Yisroel  Adonoi  Elohenu  Adonoi  Echod." 

Mordecai  sends  word  to  Esther  to  go  to  the  king 
and  plead  for  her  race. 

Esther,  although  afraid,  obeys  Mordecai,  as  she 
has  always  obeyed  him.  She  risks  her  life  for  the 
sake  of  her  people.  She  invites  the  king  to  a  banquet. 
When  the  king  asks  her  petition,  she  begs  him  to  come 
with  Haman  the  next  day  and  she  will  make  known 
her  request. 

Mordecai  had  never  been  rewarded  for  saving 
the  king's  life.  When  Ahasuerus  discovered  this,  he 
asked  Haman  what  should  be  done  to  the  man  whom 
the  king  wished  to  honor  ?  Conceited  Haman  thinks : 
Whom  should  the  king  intend  to  honor  but  Haman? 
Hence  Haman  describes  those  honors  he  would  like 
most — to  wear  the  king's  crown  and  clothes;  to  ride 
on  the  king's  horse;  and  to  let  the  whole  city  see  his 
glory.  When  the  king  tells  Haman  that  all  this  is  to 
be  done  to  Mordecai,  the  Jew,  and  that  Haman  must 
attend  to  the  details,  Haman  feels  outraged. 

171 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

The  wife  of  Haman  warns  him  that  this  is  the 
beginning  of  the  end.  Instead  of  Haman  destroying 
the  Jews,  he  will  fall  before  them. 

How  true  her  prophecy  was  will  be  told  in  the 
next  lesson. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  would  you  make  the  point  of  contact 
between  the  preceding  and  this  lesson? 

2.  When  Mordecai  heard  of  Haman's  wicked 
plot,  what  message  did  he  send  to  the  queen?    What 
did  the  queen  suggest  in  her  replies  ?    What  was  Mor- 
decai's  answer  to  her  replies? 

3.  Why  did  Esther  obey  Mordecai?  What  moral 
lesson  can  be  drawn  from  both  Esther's  and  Mor- 
decai's  actions  ? 

4.  Describe   Esther's   interview  with  the  king. 
What  was  the  immediate  result?  What  was  the  more 
remote  result? 

5.  What  event  marked  the  beginning  of  Haman's 
downfall? 

6.  How  was  Mordecai  rewarded  for  saving  the 
life  of  the  king?    Was  it  an  immediate  or  a  remote 
reward  ? 

7.  What  did  Haman's  wife  prophesy? 

8.  Give  your  impression  of  the  incidents  in  this 
lesson.     How  will  they  affect  children? 

9.  For  what  is  the  story  of   Esther  adapted? 
How  and  why? 

10.  What  lesson  may  be  taught  from  Mordecai's 
belief  in  God ;  and  Haman's  vanity  and  hatred  ? 

172 


Lesson  XV 
Queen  Esther  (3) 


173 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lesson  XV— Queen  Esther,  (3) 

Special  Topic — The  Reasons  for  Celebrating 
Purim. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson — To  show  God's  constant 
care  extended  to  the  Jews. 

Memory  Gem — "Be  strong  and  of  good  courage, 
for  the  Lord  Thy  God  is  with  thee."  (Joshua  1:7.) 

Bible  References — Book  of  Esther.  Chaps. 
VII-X. 

Books — Rosenau's  "Jewish  Ceremonial  Institu- 
tions and  Customs." 

Songs — Review. 

Picture— Tissot,  104:  "Esther  Feasts  with  the 
King." 

TEACHING  THE  LESSON 

POINT  OF  CONTACT 

Whenever  a  lesson  is  the  continuation  of  a  story 
which  was  begun  in  a  previous  lesson,  the  point  of 
contact  is  easily  made  by  a  review  of  the  incidents 
already  narrated. 

This  may  be  done  in  several  ways: 

The  teacher  may  again  tell  the  story  and  continue 
with  the  new  work. 

He  may  question  the  children  on  the  previous 
part  of  the  narrative. 

He  may  request  several  children  in  turn  to  tell 
what  they  remember  of  the  lesson  of  the  previous 
week.  By  having  other  children  supply  omissions 

175 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

made,  a  good  review  will  be  effected,  not  to  mention 
that  all  the  children  will  get  a  chance  to  take  part  in 
the  work. 

For  this  particular  lesson  be  sure  that  the  pupils 
remember  that  Esther  was  a  poor  orphan  girl  and 
had  lived  with  and  been  reared  by  her  uncle,  Mor- 
decai.  Recall  the  wonderful  way  in  which  she  became 
queen.  Tell  briefly  of  Haman,  the  wicked  counsellor, 
and  Mordecai,  the  good  Jew. 

Haman  wished  to  destroy  all  the  Jews,  and 
brought  false  accusations  and  charges  against  them. 

Mordecai  urges  Esther  to  try  to  save  her  people. 
The  brave  girl  goes  to  the  king.  Her  timidity  will 
not  allow  her  to  make  her  request  at  once.  She  only 
begs  the  king  to  come  with  Haman  to  a  banquet. 
She  cannot  summon  up  courage,  at  this  feast,  but  tells 
the  king  that  "tomorrow"  she  will  make  her  request 
known  to  the  king.  Meanwhile  Haman  is  outraged 
by  having  to  show  Mordecai  great  honors  which  he 
had  hoped  to  have  conferred  on  himself.  Matters 
are  in  this  involved  state  when  the  last  scenes  ara  en- 
acted in  this  wonderful  drama. 

PRESENTATION 

Haman's  wife  had  said  to  him:  "If  Mordecai,  be- 
fore whom  thou  hast  begun  to  fall,  be  of  the  seed  of 
the  Jews,  thou  wilt  not  prevail  against  him,  but  wilt 
surely  fall  before  him." 

Haman  hardly  had  time  enough  to  reply  to  her,  for 
the  messengers  came  to  take  him  to  the  second  banquet 
given  by  the  queen  just  for  the  two,  the  king  and  him- 
self. Haman  cannot  help  feeling  flattered  at  this 
mark  of  distinction,  namely,  to  be  chosen  the  sole  one 
of  all  the  king's  advisers  to  go  with  the  king  to  the 
banquet  of  the  queen.  So  despite  his  anger  against 

176 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

Mordecai,  he  goes  away  in  good  spirits,  not  dreaming 
that  the  queen  has  a  special  reason  for  singling  him 
out. 

"And  the  king  came  with  Haman  to  drink  with 
Esther,  the  queen."  (Esther  VII:  L) 

"And  the  king  said  unto  Esther  also  on  the  sec- 
ond day  at  the  banquet  of  wine:  "What  is  thy  peti- 
tion, Queen  Esther,  and  it  shall  be  granted  thee;  and 
what  is  they  request?  Even  it  if  be  equal  to  half  the 
kingdom,  it  shall  be  done." 

Ah,  the  king  little  knew  that  the  queen  cared 
naught  for  money,  jewels  or  land.  None  of  these 
could  bring  her  happiness  when  the  life  of  her  dear 
uncle,  Mordecai,  the  life  of  every  Jew  in  the  land,  and 
her  own  life  were  all  in  danger. 

But  the  king's  kindness  and  generosity  gave  her 
courage  and  emboldened  her  to  make  her  request. 

She  replied:  "If  I  have  found  grace  in  thy  eyes, 
O  king !  and  if  it  be  pleasing  unto  the  king,  let  my  life 
be  given  at  my  petition  and  my  people  at  my  request." 

And  the  king  was  greatly  astonished  at  her  reply, 
but  not  knowing  that  she  was  a  Jewess,  he  did  not  un- 
derstand the  meaning  of  what  she  said.  He  grew  angry 
that  any  one  should  dare  to  think  of  killing  his  lovely, 
sweet,  gentle  queen. 

He  said  to  Esther :  "Who  is  this,  and  where  is  he, 
whose  heart  has  emboldened  him  to  do  so?" 

You  can  imagine  that  Haman  felt  more  than  un- 
comfortable during  this  conversation  between  the  king 
and  queen.  He  began  to  suspect  that  Esther  must  be 
some  relation  of  the  hated  Jew,  Mordecai,  yet  he  was 
not  quite  sure  until  Esther  stood  up,  and  pointing  to 
him  said  slowly  and  impressively :  "Our  adversary  and 
inimical  man  is  this  wicked  Haman."  Then  became 

177 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

Haman   terrified   before   the   king   and   the   queen." 
(Esther  VII  :6.) 

Then  Haman  knew  why  he  had  been  invited  to 
the  feasts.  He  threw  himself  in  terror  to  the  ground 
and  begged  the  queen  to  save  him  from  the  just  anger 
of  the  king. 

The  king  would  grant  no  mercy  to  this  wicked 
man,  and  when  one  of  his  servants  told  him  that 
Haman  had  built  a  gallows,  intending  to  hang  Mor- 
decai  upon  it,  the  king  gave  the  command  that  Haman 
himself  be  hanged  upon  that  very  gallows. 

"So  they  hanged  Haman  on  the  gallows  which  he 
had  prepared  for  Mordecai,  and  the  fury  of  the  king 
was  appeased." 

Mordecai's  substantial  reward  follows:  "On  that 
day  did  King  Ahasuerus  give  the  house  of  Hainan, 
the  adversary  of  the  Jews,  unto  Esther  the  queen ;  and 
Mordecai  came  before  the  king;  for  Esther  had  told 
him  what  he  was  unto  her." 

Imagine  the  surprise  of  the  king  to  learn  that 
she  was  a  Jewess  and  had  been  an  orphan  girl  brought 
up  by  her  uncle,  Mordecai.  He  knew  Mordecai  was  a 
good  man.  He  remembered  how  his  own  life  had 
been  saved  by  Mordecai's  watchfulness.  When  the 
king  thought  of  the  reward  Mordecai  had  received, 
the  king  felt  angry  at  himself.  Then  he  remembered 
that  it  was  Haman  who  had  suggested  the  triumphal 
ride  as  a  reward.  The  king  saw  through  the  scheme 
that  Haman  thought  the  reward  was  intended  for 
himself.  The  monarch,  who  was  more  weak  than 
wicked,  now  regretted  deeply  that  he  had  granted 
Hainan's  request  to  allow  the  Jews  to  be  killed.  Was 
not  Esther,  his  own  beloved  queen,  a  Jewess  and  was 
not  his  protector,  Mordecai,  a  Jew !  He  began  to  sus- 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

pect  that  Haman's  charges  against  the  despised  race 
were  untrue.  Hence  when  Mordecai  appeared  before 
him  "the  king  took  off  his  signet-ring,  which  he  had 
taken  away  from  Haman,  and  gave  it  to  Mordecai. 
Esther,  moreover,  appointed  Mordecai  over  the  house 
of  Haman. 

But  Esther  was  not  yet  satisfied.  Her  own  life 
was  safe,  as  was  the  life  of  Mordecai,  but  what  of 
the  lives  of  her  people — the  Jews?  Their  lives  were 
still  in  danger.  She  therefore  resolved  to  go  again 
unto  the  king  and  once  more  to  present  her  petition. 

"And  the  king  held  out  towards  Esther  the  golden 
sceptre." 

This,  as  the  pupils  will  remember,  was  a  mark  of 
the  king's  favor.  Esther  thus  knew  that  the  king 
would  listen  to  her  words  and  grant  her  request.  She 
begged  the  king  to  repeal  or  to  take  back  the  evil,  cruel 
edict  that  Haman  had  devised  or  planned  against  the 
Jews. 

"And  she  said:  'If  it  be  pleasing  to  the  king, 
and  if  I  have  found  grace  before  him,  and  the  thing 
appears  proper  before  the  king,  and  it  be  pleasing  in 
his  eyes,  let  it  be  written  to  recall  the  letter,  the  device 
of  Haman,  which  he  hath  written  to  exterminate  the 
Jews,  who  are  in  all  the  provinces  of  the  king. 

'  'For  how  can  I  endure  to  look  on  the  evil  that  is 
to  befall  my  people  ?  And  how  could  I  endure  to  look 
upon  the  extermination  of  my  kindred  ?' " 

Explain  the  unselfishness  of  Esther  in  again  brav- 
ing the  king's  displeasure.  She  and  Mordecai  were 
safe,  but  she  could  not  be  happy  unless  she  could  save 
all  the  Jews.  Notice  how  timid  and  bashful  Esther 
was.  She  was  twice  afraid  to  make  her  request 
known;  but  she  finally  banished  her  own  fear  and  be- 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

came  truly  brave  for  the  love  of  others.  This  is  true 
unselfishness. 

The  king  then  said  to  Esther  and  Mordecai  that 
Haman  had  been  punished  by  death  for  trying  to  kill 
the  Jews.  "But,"  he  said,  "write  yourselves  con- 
cerning the  Jews,  as  it  may  be  good  in  your  eyes,  in 
the  king's  name  and  seal  it  with  the  king's  signet- 
ring;  for  a  writing  which  is  written  with  the  king's 
signet-ring  cannot  be  recalled." 

Then  the  scribes,  or  men  who  wrote  (for  all 
people  could  not  write  in  those  days),  were  called  in, 
and  they  wrote  just  as  Mordecai  told  them.  He  told 
them  that  the  king  had  ordered  the  Jews  to  defend 
themselves  against  their  enemies  and  to  fight  for 
their  lives  and  to  protect  their  families.  This  order 
was  sent  all  over  the  country  by  swift  messengers  on 
horseback,  and  on  mules,  and  on  camels,  and  on  young 
dromedaries.  Slow  modes  of  sending  messages, 
indeed,  compared  to  our  present  swift  methods ! 

The  messengers  went  all  over  the  country  with 
the  writing,  and  the  law  was  given  out  in  Shushan,  in 
which  city  lived  Esther  and  Mordecai. 

"And  Mordecai  went  out  from  the  presence  of 
the  king  in  a  royal  apparel  of  blue  and  white,  and 
with  a  great  crown  of  gold,  and  with  a  cloak  of  fine 
linen  and  purple;  and  the  city  of  Shushan  was  glad 
and  joyful. 

"For  the  Jews  there  was  light,  with  joy  and  glad- 
ness, and  honor." 

In  every  place  where  the  command  was  received 
the  days  of  sorrow  were  made  days  of  joy;  and  the 
fast  was  turned  into  a  feast. 

For  when  the  people  read  the  decree  they  were 
glad  to  cease  fighting  the  Jews,  for  they  had  no 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

special  grievance  against  them,  for  "the  dread  of  the 
Jews  had  fallen  upon  them." 

Mordecai's  fame  spread  over  the  country,  and 
other  Jews  were  raised  to  places  of  honor.  Thus,  we 
see  that  uprightness  and  loyalty,  coupled  with  trust  in 
God,  are  sure  of  their  reward.  Here  we  see  how  one 
good,  brave,  loyal  Jew  can,  by  his  loyalty  and  char- 
acter, elevate  his  people. 

And  Mordecai  sent  word  that,  in  thankfulness, 
all  the  Jews  should  make  a  feast  day,  and  that  year 
after  year  they  must  celebrate  the  day  as  one  of  joy 
and  of  sending  gifts  to  one  another,  but  more  espe- 
cially to  the  poor  and  needy. 

The  name  of  this  great  day  of  feasting  and  rejoic- 
ing and  of  sending  gifts  is  Purim. 

Ever  since  the  days  of  Mordecai  and  Esther,  who 
lived  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  years  ago,  the  Jews 
in  every  land  have  observed  and  celebrated  the  joyful 
feast  of  Purim. 

It  is  observed  even  in  this  day  by  the  reading  of 
the  Book  of  Esther  from  a  parchment  scroll  in  the 
synagogue;  by  reflections  on  Esther's  and  Mordecai's 
characters ;  by  expressions  of  thanksgiving  to  God  for 
His  unfailing  protection  of  the  Jews;  by  giving  gifts 
to  relatives  and  friends ;  by  sending  presents  to  those 
who  are  not  blessed  as  we  are,  and  by  various  enter- 
tainments reflecting  the  joyous  Purim  spirit.  The 
teacher  should  see  to  the  practical  application  of  these 
injunctions  by  having  the  pupils  contribute  money  or 
gifts,  to  be  sent  or  taken  to  the  sick  and  needy ;  also  by 
doing  something  to  make  each  other  and  their  parents 
and  friends  happy. 


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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

RESUME 

"God  helps  those  who  help  themselves."  We 
must  be  brave  in  spite  of  danger.  We  must  forget 
ourselves  and  try  to  help  others. 

Mordecai's  courage  in  refusing  to  violate  a  reli- 
gious custom  at  first  appears  to  cause  much  trouble, 
but  his  persistency  and  courage,  united  with  Esther's 
bravery,  eventually  saved  his  people  from  death. 

Raman's  downfall  was  directly  due  to  his  false 
pride,  injustice  and  wickedness. 

Purim  is  celebrated  in  memory  of  the  rescue  of 
the  Jews  by  the  good  Queen  Esther,  who  by  her  sweet- 
ness, nobility  and  courage  succeeded  in  having  the 
king  revoke  the  promise  Haman  had  trapped  him  into 
making. 

In  celebrating  with  our  families,  we  must  not 
forget  the  poor  amidst  our  rejoicing.  The  Bible  par- 
ticularly tells  us  that  we  must  send  gifts  to  the  needy, 
in  order  that  they,  too,  may  rejoice  on  the  happy 
holiday  of  Purim. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Suggest  your  own  means  as  to  how  you  would 
make  the  point  of  contact  with  the  previous  lesson. 

2.  Did   Esther  make  her  petition  at  the  first 
feast?   Quote  reason  for  your  reply. 

3.  How  did  Haman  feel  at  being  the  only  guest 
at  both  banquets  ? 

4.  Did  Esther  want  to  honor  Haman  ?    Why  did 
she  single  him  out  and  invite  him? 

5.  What  did  the  king  demand  of  Esther  at  the 
second  banquet? 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

6.  Tell  her  reply.     Tell  several  measures  the 
king  took  to  reverse  his  wrong  decision  in  reference 
to  the  Jews. 

7.  What  became  of  Haman  ?    What  happened  to 
Mordecai  ? 

8.  What  holiday   is   observed   to   celebrate   all 
these  deeds  of  Esther?    Of  Mordecai?    Tell  how  it 
is  celebrated. 

9  and  10.  Write  out  a  short  resume  of  this 
lesson,  stating  briefly  and  in  chronological  succession 
the  most  important  events. 


183 


Lesson  XVI 
Teaching  Prayers  and  Psalms 


185 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 


Lesson  XVI — Teaching  Prayers 
and  Psalms 

A— TEACHING  OF  PRAYERS 

Every  child  should  be  taught  to  pray.  A  child 
should  be  taught  to  pray  before  he  is  of  the  age  to 
attend  the  Religious  Schools. 

It  should  be  the  mother's  sacred  task  to  teach  the 
baby  lips  night  and  morning  to  utter  words  of  praise 
to  the  great  God  above. 

At  first  this  may  seem  like  mere  lip  service,  but 
even  a  little  tot  realizes  from  the  solemnity  of  the 
sound,  his  posture,  folded  hands,  closed  eyes  and 
bowed  head  that  the  prayer  is  something  holy  addressed 
to  the  Source  of  Life,  the  Giver  of  all  blessings. 

If  the  parent  has  not  performed  his  duty  before 
the  child  enters  the  Religious  School,  the  teacher,  who 
stands  in  loco  parentis,  must  instil  into  the  child  the 
spirit  of  reverence  and  train  the  child  in  the  habit  of 
prayer. 

Early  in  the  term  the  teacher  should  ask  how 
many  children  say  their  prayers  at  night  and  in  the 
morning.  Let  some  of  the  children  recite  their 
prayers,  be  they  in  Hebrew,  English,  German  or  any 
other  language. 

Ask  the  children  why  we  pray.  Try  to  get  the 
answer  that  we  pray  to  God  at  night  to  thank  Him  for 
taking  care  of  us  during  the  day  and  to  ask  Him  to 
continue  to  watch  over  us  at  night  while  we  sleep. 

In  the  morning  we  offer  a  prayer  of  thankfulness 
for  God's  care  over  us  during  the  night,  and  we  ask 
His  help  in  doing  the  right  and  in  being  good  and 
kind  during  the  day. 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

A  little  boy  once  awoke  at  night  and  began  to  cry. 

His  mother  bent  over  him  anxiously  and  said: 
"What  is  the  matter,  dear?  Are  you  ill?"  "No,"  he 
replied,  "but  I  think  I  forgot  to  say  my  prayers."  The 
little  prayer,  he  said,  always  made  him  feel  better. 

Thus  it  should  be  with  all  of  our  prayers.  They 
should  make  us  feel  stronger  and  better. 

The  child  accepts  the  duty  of  prayer  naturally 
and  without  question.  It  is  unwise  and  unnecessary 
at  this  period  to  raise  any  question  in  reference  to  it 
The  teacher  will  find  the  whole  subject  treated  in  the 
course  on  "The  New  Education  in  Religion." 

God  does  not  need  our  prayers.  Prayer  is  a  need 
of  our  being.  It  reacts  on  us  and  makes  us  feel  purer, 
happier  and  better. 

In  time  of  danger,  trouble  or  sorrow  prayer  com- 
forts us.  In  times  of  joy  and  gladness  our  prayers  of 
gratitude  to  God  make  us  feel  glad  and  satisfy  the 
inner  demand  of  our  nature.  While  prayer  fills  our 
hearts  with  trust  in  time  of  need,  it  also  puts  into  our 
souls  new  courage  to  face  difficulties ;  new  patience  to 
bear  our  trials,  and  new  strength  in  moments  of  weak- 
ness. It  calls  forth  praise  from  our  lips  when  we 
realize  our  every  blessing. 

Sometimes,  on  occasions  of  national  rejoicing  and 
amid  national  calamities,  the  whole  nation  assembles 
for  prayer.  Jews  and  non-Jews  in  unison  thank  God 
for  blessings  and  beseech  Him  for  protection. 

Every  year  on  Thanksgiving  Day  the  people  of  the 
whole  nation  gather,  by  proclamation  of  the  president, 
to  give  thanks  to  God  for  the  bounties  of  nature  and 
the  blessings  of  prosperity.  With  their  prayers  of 
gratitude  they  couple  hymns  of  thanksgiving. 

Prayer,  as  an  expression  of  trust,  is  native  with 
man.  Our  earliest  forefathers  could  not  resist  pouring 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

forth  their  hearts'  desires  and  feelings.  The  Bible 
is  full  of  prayers.  We  read,  respectively,  of  Noah, 
Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  praying  to  God. 

Every  one  of  us  has  much  for  which  to  be  thank- 
ful. Every  one  should  therefore  not  fail  to  offer  a 
little  prayer  to  God  every  night  and  morning. 

Let  the  children  open  their  book.  (Prayers  for 
Home  and  School,  Ella  Jacobs,  Philadelphia,  Pa.) 
Read  to  them  or  have  them  read  with  you  the  little 
night  prayer,  "Now  the  day  is  over  and  the  quiet 
night  has  come,"  etc.  Ask  how  many  would  like  to 
learn  a  little  prayer  and  say  it  every  night  before 
retiring. 

Although  the  thought  of  the  prayer  may  be  very 
simple  and  easy  to  comprehend,  be  sure  the  children 
understand  the  meaning  of  it. 

For  example,  in  the  first  prayer  quoted  God  is 
petitioned  to  watch  over  us  during  the  night.  Then 
forgiveness  is  asked  for  every  wrongdoing ;  and  help  is 
sought  to  make  us  better  during  the  coming  day.  Illus- 
trate each  point  if  possible. 

Teach  the  morning  prayer  in  the  same  manner. 
Ask  the  children  from  time  to  time  whether  they 
have  said  their  daily  prayers.  Accustom  them  to  the 
habit  of  praying,  and  assure  them  that  it  will  be  a 
help  and  a  comfort  to  them  throughout  life. 

A  special  prayer  should  be  taught  for  the  Sab- 
bath Day.  Teach  the  prayer  for  opening  and  closing 
the  school,  sentence  by  sentence,  without  the  book. 

In  order  to  have  the  children  concentrate  their 
attention  on  the  act  of  praying,  have  them  stand  erect, 
close  their  eyes  and  keep  their  hands  folded  or  at  their 
sides. 

A  correct,  respectful  and  devout  position  is  impor- 
tant. The  teacher  should  begin  by  saying  the  first 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

sentence:  "We  meet  again  in  gladness  here."  Let 
the  class  repeat  this.  Then  the  teacher  should  say 
the  next  sentence,  and  the  class  should  repeat  it.  When, 
as  will  be  the  case,  in  a  few  weeks,  the  children  will 
have  learned  the  entire  prayer,  the  teacher  and  pupils 
can  say  the  prayer  together. 

Teach  them  to  know  the  first  sentence  of  the 
Shema,  although  they  may  not  yet  understand  Hebrew. 

Tell  them  that  Jews  all  over  the  world  say  these 
words.  It  is  our  Confession  of  Faith.  It  is  a  bond,  a 
connecting  link,  which  binds  Jews  of  all  lands.  The 
children  are  usually  pleased  to  learn  the  Hebrew,  be- 
cause many  of  them  have  heard  parents  and  grand- 
parents say  the  Shema. 

Teach  the  closing  prayer  in  like  manner.  The 
teacher  should  let  nothing  interfere  with  the  rever- 
ential manner  of  saying  the  prayers  in  concert  every 
week. 

B— TEACHING  OF  PSALMS 

In  the  Primary  Class  very  few  Psalms  can  be 
taught.  In  fact,  one  during  each  of  the  two  years 
will  be  found  sufficient.  Take  the  opportunity  before 
teaching  the  actual  words  of  the  Psalm  to  tell  the 
children  something  about  the  Psalms  in  general. 

Take  up  your  Bible  and  tell  them  that  the  Psalms 
are  found  in  it,  just  as  are  the  various  stories  of  Adam 
and  Eve,  Cain  and  Abel,  Moses,  Esther,  etc.  Impress 
the  fact  that  the  Commandments  are  also  found  in 
the  Bible. 

Explain  to  them  that  the  Psalms,  which  are  really 
songs,  or  hymns  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  to  God, 
are  known  as  "The  Psalms  of  David."  Tell  them  just 
a  little  about  the  life  of  David,  the  shepherd  king, 
even  though  David  did  not  write  the  whole  Psalter. 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

Tell  them  about  David  in  this  wise: 
David  was  a  caretaker  of  sheep,  and  often,  when 
he  was  alone  in  the  open  with  his  flock,  he  would  think 
of  God  and  compose  little  songs  to  sing  to  Him.    David 

§layed  on  the  harp.  He  thought  of  God  as  a  Great 
hepherd,  and  the  thought  made  him  happy.  Most 
of  David's  Psalms  are  happy  ones.  In  a  wonderful 
way,  all  about  which  the  children  will  learn  later  on, 
David  became  a  king.  He  still  played  on  his  harp. 
He  stilled  composed  songs,  or  Psalms.  But  a  king  is 
not  always  as  happy  as  a  shepherd.  David's  later  life 
was  full  of  troubles  and  worries  and  anxieties.  Some 
of  his  Psalms  became  very  sad  songs,  indeed. 

As  an  example  of  the  Psalms  best  adapted  for  the 
instruction  of  little  children,  one  of  the  gems  of  the 
collection  selected  is  Psalm  XXIII.  It  is  one  of  the 
simplest,  most  easily  understood  and  best  known.  Its 
sentiment  is  in  true  accord  with  the  tender  child 
nature.  Try  to  secure  a  picture  of  a  shepherd  and  his 
sheep.  Show  his  crook  or  a  picture  of  one.  Tell  the 
children  how  carefully  a  shepherd  must  watch  the 
baby  lambs  in  his  flock.  He  must  lead  them  by 
streams  of  slow-running  waters  to  slake  their  thirst. 
Fiercely  rushing  waters  would  frighten  them. 

The  shepherds  must  constantly  guard  them  from 
harm  and  move  on  from  place  to  place  to  find  tender 
grass  and  green  pasture  for  his  sheep.  Our  shepherd 
is  God.  He  watches  over  us  all,  as  carefully  as  does 
the  shepherd  over  all  of  his  sheep.  He  sees  that  no 
harm  shall  come  to  even  the  least  among  us. 

"The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd,  I  shall  not  want." 
Explain  each  verse  to  the  children.  The  symbolism 
is  easily  comprehended  and  enjoyed  by  them.    In  the 
latter  part  of  the  Psalm  there  is  found  the  phrase: 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

"Thou  anointest  my  head  with  oil."  Tell  them 
of  the  custom  in  olden  times  of  pouring  oil  on  the 
head  of  the  King  when  he  was  crowned. 

THE  WORLD  IS  GOD'S  HOUSE.  "Dwelling 
in  the  house  of  the  Lord  forever"  means  keeping 
God's  laws,  obeying  His  Commandments,  so  that  we 
may  always  be  fit  to  dwell  in  God's  Holy  Sanctuary. 

It  is  well  to  teach  also  Psalm  C.  It,  too,  is  appro- 
priate. "We  are  His  people,  and  the  sheep  of  His 
pasture." 

Shepherds  were  so  common  in  Bible  times  that 
we  find  many  allusions  to  them. 

"Serve  the  Lord  with  gladness,  come  before  His 
presence  with  singing." 

This  paragraph  shows  the  joy  of  serving  God.  We 
should  be  glad — as  some  people  say:  "Just  singing 
for  joy." 

The  everlasting  attributes  of  God  are  taught  in 
the  last  paragraph : 

"For  the  Lord  is  good,  His  mercy  is  everlasting; 
and  His  truth  endureth  to  all  generations." 

By  carefully  teaching  these  two  Psalms,  the  chil- 
dren will  be  enabled  easily  to  understand  and  mem- 
orize other  Psalms  as  they  pass  on  to  higher  grades 
of  the  School. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  should  a  child  be  taught  to  pray?  When? 
Who  should  be  his  first  teacher? 

2.  What  part  should  the  Religious  School  teacher 
take  in  this  work  ?    Illustrate. 

3.  What  prayers  should  a  child  first  learn? 

192 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

4.  Who  is  chiefly  benefited  by  prayers  ?    Explain 
your  answer. 

5.  Explain  how  to  teach  a  prayer  for  the  opening 
of  School. 

6.  Who  is  said  to  have  written  the  Book  of 
Psalms? 

7.  How  many  Psalms  would  you  teach  in  a  two 
years'  Primary  Course  ?    Why  ? 

8.  What  kind  of  Psalms  will  interest  young  chil- 
dren most  ?    Adults  ? 

9.  How  can  you  illustrate  the  pastoral  Psalms  ? 

10.  In  teaching  Psalms,  would  you  permit  any 
deviation  from  the  exact  words  of  the  text?    Give 
the  reasons  for  your  reply. 


193 


Lesson  XVII 
Teaching  the  Ten  Commandments 


195 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lesson  XVII — Teaching  the  Ten 
Commandments 

Before  beginning  the  actual  teaching  of  the 
Commandments  the  teacher  should  tell  die  pupils 
something  about  them.  Let  him  describe  briefly  how 
the  Commandments  were  given  to  our  sires  at  Mt. 
Sinai.  Tell  of  their  supreme  importance  and  everlast- 
ing, binding  character  on  all  people — young  and  old. 
Suggestions  for  a  fuller  statement  are  given  in  this 
lesson.  Explain  that  years  and  years  ago  there  were 
very  few  laws,  or  commandments.  "Might  was  right" 
in  those  days  of  uncivilized,  uneducated  people.  When 
a  tribe,  or  people,  wanted  the  land  of  others,  it  would 
rush  upon  the  desired  ground,  plunder  or  kill  the 
people  and  simply  steal  the  land  and  use  it  for  its  own 
purposes.  If  a  man  envied  the  horse  of  another,  he 
would  resolve  to  get  it.  He  would  go  by  stealth,  kill 
the  rider  and  take  the  horse  for  his  own. 

Of  course,  in  these  days  among  civilized  people, 
such  action  would  not  be  tolerated.  The  laws  of  all 
countries  punish  theft  and  murder. 

The  Jews  had  such  laws  long  before  the  various 
nations  and  countries  had  adopted  them.  Many  years 
ago  God  gave  to  the  Jews  the  Ten  Great  Words,  or 
Great  Commandments.  They  were  so  wonderful  that 
all  civilized  nations  and  countries  have  adopted  them. 
They  are  as  important  today  as  when  they  were  first 
given  years  ago  from  Mt.  Sinai.  They  are  part  of  the 
rules  of  our  government.  The  laws  of  the  land  punish 
any  violations  of  these  Commandments. 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

The  children  may  be  asked  if  they  know  what  is 
meant  by  a  commandment,  or  rule.  Nearly  all  will 
know  that  a  command  is  something  they  are  told  that 
they  must  do,  or  something  that  they  must  not  do. 

For  adults,  all  commands  are  divided  into  two 
classes — positive  and  negative  ones.  Young  children 
will  not  recognize  these  distinctions.  Ask  them  to  tell 
some  command  of  their  parents.  The  mother  may 
say :  "Come  to  dinner !"  "Study  your  lessons !"  "Go 
to  bed !"  These  would  be  positive  commands,  although 
the  child  will  not  recognize  such  wording.  It  is  some- 
thing the  child  must  do.  The  mother  may  say,  "Do  not 
go  near  the  open  window !"  "Do  not  play  in  the  middle 
of  the  street !"  "Do  not  read  out  loud !"  These  are 
negative  commands.  It  is  something  the  child  must 
refrain  from  doing. 

There  are  hundreds  of  things  the  child  must  do 
and  hundreds  he  must  not  do.  They  are  far  too 
many  to  be  written  down.  Common  sense  must,  to  a 
great  extent,  guide  man  in  all  cases. 

Ask  the  children  to  tell  you  some  positive  com- 
mands, some  things  they  must  do.  Probable  answers 
would  be:  "Go  to  school  in  time."  "Study  my  les- 
sons." "Obey  my  teachers." 

Then  ask  them  to  tell  you  some  things  they  are 
commanded  not  to  do.  These  might  naturally  be :  "Do 
not  be  late  at  school."  "Do  not  disobey  your  teach- 
ers." "Do  not  forget  or  neglect  to  study  the  lessons." 

These  are  explicit  commands  often  given.  But 
there  are  many  other  implied  ones.  You  need  not  say 
to  a  child :  "Do  not  put  your  fingers  on  the  hot  stove." 
He  knows  perfectly  well  the  natural  consequences. 
Burning  his  hand  would  follow  the  act.  Even  a  young 
child  knows  he  must  not  jump  out  of  the  window.  He 
does  not  have  to  be  told.  God  could  tell  us  all  the 

198 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

things  we  must  do  and  all  the  things  which  we  must 
refrain  from  doing. 

The  Commandments  in  full  are  too  difficult  and 
too  long  to  teach  little  children,  so  in  the  primary 
classes  the  teacher  is  advised  to  use  the  abbreviated 
form  of  the  Commandments,  which  is  found  in 
"Prayers  for  Home  and  School,"  by  Ella  Jacobs, 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Many  years  ago  the  Children  of  Israel  were  slaves 
m  the  land  of  Egypt.  (Further  details  of  this  story 
are  given  in  the  lesson  on  the  Passover.  See  Course 

m.) 

It  is  unnecessary  to  go  into  details  at  this  time. 
Merely  state  the  fact.  After  the  people  had  suffered 
for  years  and  years,  God  set  them  free,  and  Moses  was 
their  leader.  The  people  of  Israel  had  been  under 
King  Pharaoh's  rule,  and  had  to  obey  the  laws  of  the 
land  of  Egypt.  Many  of  these  laws  were  unfair, 
unjust  and  cruel. 

When  the  Israelites  were  a  free  people  God  said 
He  would  give  them  a  new  set  of  laws,  or  command- 
ments, which  they  must  obey,  and  for  this  purpose  he 
told  Moses  to  separate  himself  from  the  people  and  to 
come  up  to  the  top  of  a  high  mountain,  Mt.  Sinai, 
there  to  be  given  the  Commandments.  Moses  obeyed 
God  and  went  up  to  Mt.  Sinai.  The  Commandments 
were  written  on  two  tablets  of  stone.  The  teacher 
can  procure  a  picture  of  the  giving  of  the  law,  showing 
Moses  holding  the  tablets.  This  may  make  the  matter 
more  concrete  to  the  children^.  "And  He  gave  unto 
Moses,  when  he  had  finished  speaking  with  him  upon 
Mt.  Sinai,  the  two  tables  of  the  testimony;  tables  of 
stone,  inscribed  with  the  finger  of  God."  (Exodus 
XXXI  :  18.) 

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Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — II. 

The  full  text  of  the  Commandments  is  found  in 
Exodus  XX  :  1-15,  also  in  Deuteronomy  V  :6-15. 
With  this  explanation  the  children  will  be  ready  to 
hear  the  words  of  the  Commandments. 

The  First  Commandment  says:  "I  am  the  Lord, 
thy  God,  who  hath  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of 
slavery." 

This  is  not  really  a  commandment — i.  e.,  some- 
thing to  do  or  not  to  do.  It  is  merely  a  restatement, 
to  remember  what  God  did  for  the  Israelites  when  they 
were  slaves.  It  implies,  though  it  does  not  express, 
the  command  which  makes  it  our  duty  to  believe  in 
one  God,  Who  is  Guide  and  Ruler.  Explain  that 
years  and  years  ago  the  Israelites  were  held  as  slaves 
by  the  cruel  king  of  Egypt,  and  God  set  this  people 
free.  If  the  children  have  studied  the  life  of  Moses, 
the  teacher  can  explain  in  greater  detail. 

The  Second  Commandment  says:  "Thou  shalt 
have  no  other  Gods  but  me." 

The  children  will  remember  that  in  olden  times 
the  people  prayed  to  idols,  false  gods ;  gods  who  had 
no  power  to  make  the  sun  shine,  or  the  clouds  to 
gather  and  the  rain  and  snow  to  fall ;  gods  who  could 
not  even  move  or  speak.  Later  on  people  prayed  to 
the  great  forces  in  nature,  which  they  thought  had 
power;  the  sun,  fire,  the  wind.  But  we  know  that 
each  of  these  forces  is  under  the  will  and  command  of 
God,  the  great  Creator  of  all.  There  are  people  today 
of  other  religions  who  pray  to  other  gods.  The  chil- 
dren come  into  contact  with  so  many  Christians  that 
the  teacher  may  be  asked  about  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity.  He  must  use  great  tact  to  present  properly 
the  idea  of  the  Trinity.  Unless  the  teacher  is  well 
informed  on  the  subject,  let  him,  rather,  refrain  from 
treating  it.  But  make  the  pupils  recognize  and  realize 

200 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

that  the  supposed  "Divinity  of  Christ"  is  utterly  con- 
trary to  Jewish  belief,  which  proclaims  the  one  God. 
It  is  incomprehensible  how  a  god  can  be  born  and 
suffer  human  ailments  and  death.  But  take  care  to 
teach  respect  for  all  religion.  Never  argue.  Religion 
is  at  first  an  accident  of  birth.  It  therefore  discoun- 
tenances all  discussion  at  this  period  of  the  pupil's 
development. 

But  be  firm  and  frown  down  any  attempt  of 
Jewish  children  to  participate  in  non-Jewish  cere- 
monies, as,  for  example,  Christmas  and  Easter  fes- 
tivities at  school.  Jews  cannot  participate  in  these, 
believing  as  they  do  that  it  is  impossible  for  a  god  to 
have  a  birthday  or  to  die  and  rise  after  death.  Our 
God  is  one,  without  beginning  and  without  end.  To 
Him  only  must  we  pray.  Be  emphatic  and  leave  no 
doubts  in  the  children's  minds  as  to  the  absolute  Divin- 
ity of  the  great  Jehovah. 

Quote  the  Shema :  "Hear,  oh  Israel,  the  Lord  our 
God,  the  Lord  is  one."  We  must  not  pray  to  any  God 
but  the  One  and  only  One  Who  has  always  existed, 
and  always  will  exist,  for  ever  and  ever. 

The  Third  Commandment  tells  us:  "Thou  shalt 
not  take  God's  name  in  vain." 

Explain  the  meaning  of  taking  His  name  in  vain. 
It  is  good  and  right  and  proper  to  use  the  "Holy 
Name"  in  the  daily  prayers,  in  the  service  at  syna- 
gogue, in  the  lessons  in  the  Religious  School  and  in 
every  earnest  and  devout  act  in  life.  We  may  use 
God's  name  in  the  little  songs  and  hymns  we  sing  to 
God.  But  it  is  a  dreadful  wrong  to  speak  the  Great 
Name  lightly  and  without  reverence.  Children  and 
adults  in  their  daily  talk  sometimes  thoughtlessly  and 
frivolously  say,  "Oh,  Lord!"  "Oh,  God!"  This  is  a 

201 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

bad  habit— a  wrong,  for  it  is  sure  to  lead  to  what  is 
still  worse:  to  cursing  and  swearing.  Sometimes  a 
driver  is  angry  with  his  horses.  He  beats  them  and 
uses  oaths  too  vulgar  to  repeat.  God  is  so  holy  that 
even  His  name  is  holy,  and  must  only  be  used  by  us  in 
reverence  and  awe,  at  the  proper  time  and  proper  place. 

The  remaining  Commandments  of  the  Decalogue 
will  be  found  treated  in  the  next  lesson. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  Before  teaching  the  text  of  the  Command- 
ments, what  introduction  should  the  teacher  make? 

2.  What  kinds   of   Commandments   are  there? 
Illustrate  each. 

3.  Is  it  practical  to  formulate  a  command  for 
every  action  in  life?    Why? 

4.  What  is  the  difference  between  laws  created 
by  a  legislature  and  those  framed  in  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments ? 

5.  Are  only  the  Jews  subject  to  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments ?    Why  not  ? 

6.  Are  the  Commandments  in  their  original  form 
suitable  for  teaching  little  children?     Explain  your 
answer. 

7.  Explain  in  your  own  words  the  meaning  of 
the  First  Commandment. 

8.  What  practices  are  denounced  in  the  Second 
Commandment?    Tell  a  Bible  Verse  that  contains  the 
same  prohibition  as  the  Second  Commandment. 

202 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

9.  Give  instances  of  the  violation  of  the  Third 
Commandment  taken  from  your  own  experience  or 

observation. 

10.  Which    Commandments    refer    to    motives 
underlying  conduct  ? 


203 


Lesson  XVIII 
The  Commandments  (IV-X) 


205 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 


Lesson  XVIII — The  Commandments 
(IV  to  X.) 

The  Fourth  Commandment  is  a  very  important 
one.  On  it  and  the  Second  Commandment  are  based 
the  leading  principles  of  Judaism.  The  unity  of  God 
and  the  sacredness  of  the  seventh  day,  the  Sabbath,  are 
among  the  fundamentals  of  our  faith.  They  differ- 
entiate Judaism  from  the  faiths  which  permit  the 
worship  of  other  gods  and  the  deification  of  men  and 
sanction  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  on  some  other 
than  the  seventh  day  of  the  week. 

"Remember  the  Sabbath  Day  to  keep  it  holy." 
The  teacher  should  read  the  entire  Commandment,  in 
order  to  help  the  children  understand  it  thoroughly, 
although  they  should  be  expected  to  memorize  only 
the  first  part. 

Notice  that  in  the  part  which  says  "Six  days 
shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy  work"  the  command  to 
work  is  as  emphatic  as  the  command  to  rest.  Idleness 
is  a  sin.  Industry  and  activity  are  of  great  value  per- 
sonally, not  to  mention  that  fruits  of  our  labor  benefit 
all  mankind. 

"Remember  the  Sabbath  Day."  Why?  "To  keep 
it  holy."  Opinions  differ  greatly  as  to  what  we  may 
do  and  must  not  do  on  the  Sabbath  Day,  the  day  of 
rest.  To  some  people  rest  means  ceasing  from  all 
exertion,  physical  or  mental.  To  others  it  means  a 
change  of  employment.  But  to  all  it  must  mean  a  dif- 
ference between  the  weekdays  and  the  Sabbath.  What 
is  work  for  one  is  rest  for  another,  and  vice  versa. 
If  a  man  has  done  hard  physical  work,  then  it  rests  him 

207 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

to  relax  his  body  and  use  his  mind  to  read  or  study. 
On  the  other  hand,  after  great  mental  strain,  physical 
work  is  rest.  Illustrate  from  the  experiences  of  chil- 
dren. Therefore,  to  keep  the  day  holy  we  must 
refrain  from  our  ordinary  occupations.  We  must  on 
that  day  more  particularly  turn  our  thoughts  to  God. 
We  should  go  to  the  synagogue,  in  order  to  join  with 
others  in  praising  God.  We  should  try  to  do  some 
good  deed,  some  little  act  of  kindness  or  charity. 

A  little  child  with  a  happy,  cheerful  face,  a  word 
or  deed  of  kindness,  helps  to  observe  the  Sabbath.  Is 
it  right  to  sew,  to  shop,  to  go  to  the  theatre,  to  dancing 
school?  All  these  questions  will  come  up,  and  the 
teacher  will  have  to  answer  them  tactfully  and  truth- 
fully. Tell  about  the  rabbinical  injunction:  "Build  a 
fence  about  the  Law."  Such  prohibitions  as  those 
cited  are  the  "fences"  to  protect  the  holiness  and  rest 
of  the  Sabbath  Day. 

Explain  the  meaning  of  Holy. 

The  economic  condition  of  our  business  life 
makes  the  duty  of  answering  the  children  very  difficult 
when  they  say:  "My  father  works  on  Sabbath."  The 
teacher  cannot  tell  a  child  that  his  father  does  wrong 
to  go  to  his  place  of  business.  The  teacher  should 
speak  in  regret,  but  not  in  harsh  criticism,  of  the  viola- 
tions of  the  Sabbath  and  express  the  hope  that  some 
day  soon  conditions  will  be  better  for  observing  the 
holy  day ;  and  dwelling  strongly  on  the  spirit  of  sacri- 
fice for  the  sake  of  our  principles.  Each  one  can  make 
some  sacrifice  for  the  Sabbath,  which  has  been  so  great 
a  boon  to  all. 

The  Fifth  Commandment,  "Honor  thy  father  and 
thy  mother,"  is  a  basic  one  to  be  impressed  on  children. 
"Honor,"  "respect,"  "obey!"  These  words  seem  to 
have  lost  much  of  their  significance  and  force  with 

208 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

American-born  children  in  this  twentieth  century. 
Recall  how  Noah  and  Abraham  obeyed  God  implicitly. 
Remember  how  Isaac  and  Jacob  obeyed  their  respective 
fathers. 

Parents  care  for  their  children  in  health  and 
sickness.  Be  they  rich  or  poor,  parents  love  them. 
Children,  in  turn,  should  love,  honor  and  cherish 
parents  and  do  all  in  their  power  to  reciprocate  all  the 
devotion  shown  them. 

Call  attention  to  the  fact  that  teachers  stand  "in 
loco  parentis"  to  the  child  when  he  is  in  school  and 
should  receive  the  same  respect  as  the  parents.  Not 
only  teachers,  but  also  tutors,  nurses  and  other  per- 
sons who  are  charged  with  the  responsibility  of  caring 
for  the  young  should  be  obeyed. 

Unhappily,  many  children  look  with  disdain  on 
their  parents  and  think  them  odd  and  old  fashioned. 
This  is  especially  true  of  American  children  of 
foreign  parents. 

Teach  the  children  the  grossness  of  such  ingrati- 
tude. No  parent  is  too  queer  or  odd  to  be  respected. 
Ask  the  children  to  remember  that  some  day  they  also 
may  be  old  fashioned.  They  may  have  children,  and 
would  realize  keenly  and  bitterly  the  sadness  of  similar 
treatment 

The  Sixth  Commandment  says :  "Thou  shalt  not 
kill."  God  has  given  us  life,  and  He  is  the  only  one 
Who  has  the  right  to  take  that  life  away. 

Older  children  will  probably  want  to  discuss  the 
question  of  "capital  punishment,"  but  this  subject 
should  have  no  place  in  the  primary  classes. 

Disabuse  the  children's  mind  of  the  thought  that 
this  Commandment  refers  to  killing  animals  which 
the  Creator  has  designed  to  serve  us  for  food  and 
whose  skins  are  used  for  protection  and  clothing.  Man 

209 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

is  superior  to  all  other  animals.  Animals  are  created 
for  his  use  and  comfort.  Jealousy  often  leads  to 
theft  and  murder.  The  teacher  may  cite  the  familiar 
story  of  Cain  killing  Abel.  However,  do  not  lay  much 
stress  on  murder.  It  is  too  horrible.  The  sweet  inno- 
cence of  young  children  should  not  be  dispelled  by  the 
knowledge  of  the  worst  crimes. 

The  Seventh  Commandment  is  changed  to  read: 
"Thou  shalt  not  have  any  thoughts  which  are  not 
pure." 

With  little  children  it  is  enough  to  tell  them  that 
they  must  have  good,  refined,  pure  thoughts,  so  that 
all  of  their  actions  shall  be  pure,  modest  and  refined. 

This  question  was  dealt  with  in  Lesson  XVII, 
Course  I,  to  which  the  teacher  is  referred  for  further 
details. 

The  Eighth  Commandment,  "Thou  shalt  not 
steal,"  is  a  very  necessary  one,  to  be  carefully  ex- 
plained and  taught  to  the  little  ones. 

Many  children  pass  through  a  stage  of  dishon- 
esty. This  mental  or  moral  weakness  seems  as  natural 
as  a  physical  weakness  and  illness — for  example, 
chickenpox  or  measles. 

Not  all  are  attacked,  but  many  are.  Parents  must 
not  be  unnecessarily  worried  or  shocked  at  children's 
dishonesty  at  this  period.  But,  with  the  help  of  the 
teacher,  parents  should  try  to  cure  the  errors  which 
come  from  the  weakness  and  in  the  face  of  tempta- 
tion or  an  untrained  will.  Books,  pencils  and,  more 
often,  food  are  exceedingly  attractive  to  the  children; 
and  they  easily  fall  into  temptation  and  take  another's 
property. 

Coveting,  wishing  and  longing  for  what  does  not 
belong  to  him  grows  into  a  strong  desire  to  possess 

210 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

these  things  and  lead  many  a  child,  yes,  many  an  adult, 
to  steal. 

Emphasize  the  sacredness  of  personal  rights  and 
personal  property. 

Children  should  be  taught  that  to  be  unruly  in 
school  is  dishonest,  also.  By  such  conduct  they  waste 
or  steal  the  time  of  the  teacher  and  of  the  class.  By 
wasting  their  own  time  they  are  dishonest  also  to 
themselves. 

The  Ninth  Commandment:  "Thou  shalt  not  speak 
evil  about  any  one,"  or  "Thou  shalt  not  tell  evil  tales 
against  thy  neighbor." 

Explain  that  "neighbor"  does  not  refer  merely  to 
a  person  living  next  door  to  one's  home,  but  to  any 
acquaintance  or  friend ;  in  fact,  to  any  other  person. 

This  Commandment  is  very  often  violated  by  the 
young,  more  in  a  spirit  of  thoughtlessness  than  with 
any  intent  of  wrongdoing  or  evil.  Children  must  be 
taught  at  an  early  age  that  "telling  tales"  on  each  other 
is  an  unkind  habit  which  often  leads  to  a  serious  fault. 
A  person  often  says  something  ill  against  another. 
This  is  repeated,  exaggerated  and  enlarged  until  the 
tale  becomes  actually  libelous.  The  one  who  originated 
the  report  may  not  in  the  course  of  time  even  recognize 
that  it  is  his  story ;  the  story  may  have  grown  so  and 
have  become  distorted.  Gossip  and  idle  talk  may  lead 
to  similar  results.  Teach  the  children  that  if  they 
cannot  say  kind  and  pleasant  things  of  another,  not  to 
talk  about  the  matter  at  all. 

Let  them  memorize  this  helpful  rhyme : 
"If  wisdom's  ways  you  wisely  seek, 
Five  things  observe  with  care : 
Of  whom  you  speak, 
To  whom  you  speak, 
And  why,  and  when,  and  where." 
211 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

The  Tenth  and  last  Commandment,  in  abbrevi- 
ated form,  reads :  "Thou  shalt  not  covet." 

Explain,  first,  that  the  word  "covet"  means  to 
wish  earnestly  for  something  which  you  do  not  pos- 
sess. Children  should  early  learn  how  to  be  contented 
with  what  is  their  own  and  not  look  with  envy  on  the 
toys  and  clothes  of  their  little  friends.  Envy  and  dis- 
content are  the  roots  of  much  of  the  evil  and  unhap- 
piness  in  this  world.  Coveting  leads  to  theft,  and  often 
even  to  murder.  A  man  may  covet  the  money  of 
another.  He  makes  himself  and  perhaps  his  family 
unhappy.  He  finally  decides  to  rob  or  steal  his  neigh- 
bor's money.  He  may  be  caught  in  the  act,  and  in 
defence  he  may  shoot  some  one  in  order  to  escape 
detection. 

Envy  and  jealousy  made  Cain  angry  with  Abel. 
He  tried  to  quarrel  with  his  brother,  and  finally  killed 
him;  so  that  by  this  act  Cain  was  driven  from  home, 
a  wanderer  over  the  earth.  His  parents  practically  lost 
both  their  sons  by  his  dreadful  crime. 

Contentment  with  our  lot,  be  we  rich  or  poor,  is 
the  great  lesson  to  be  learned  by  all,  young  and  old. 
Show  the  children  that  violation  of  the  Tenth  Com- 
mandment may  make  one  break  many  others — the 
eighth,  the  sixth,  the  fifth. 

Of  course,  all  the  Commandments  are  not  to  be 
taught  in  one  year.  During  the  first  year  of  a  child's 
life  in  a  Religious  School  four  Commandments  could 
be  taught.  These  would  not  come  in  numerical  order, 
but  the  simplest  ones,  those  which  concern  the  child 
most,  should  be  taught  first. 

Therefore,  teach  first  the  Fifth  Commandment; 
then  the  eighth;  next  the  tenth,  and  then  the  fourth. 
These  are  the  most  easily  understood  and  have  the 
greatest  bearing  on  the  child's  life. 

212 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

In  the  second  year's  course  take  up  the  Com- 
mandments in  their  proper  order,  following  the  sug- 
gestions which  have  been  made  in  this  lesson.  This 
implies  a  review  of  the  four  already  taught  and  in- 
struction in  the  remaining  six.  Whenever  possible, 
illustrate  by  narrative,  previously  learned  from  the 
Bible,  from  incidents  in  the  child's  life,  or  from  secu- 
lar stories  with  which  the  pupil  is  familiar. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why    is    the    Fourth    Commandment    very 
important  ?    Explain. 

2.  What  two  Commandments  are    actually    in- 
volved in  it  ?    Which  do  you  think  is  of  greater  import- 
ance? 

3.  Why  should  Jews  observe  the  Seventh  Day 
Sabbath  ?    When  is  the  Sabbath  first  referred  to  in  the 
Scriptures  ? 

4.  Why  do  Christians  observe  the  first  day?    Do 
you  know  any  other  day  observed  as  Sabbath  by  a 
religious  denomination  ? 

5.  Relate  some  instance  of  the  violation  of  the 
spirit  of  the  Fifth  Commandment.     Cite  some  Bible 
verses  which  emphasize  honor  to  our  parents. 

6.  Who   else   should   be    obeyed    by    children 
besides  their  parents  ?    Why  ? 

7.  How   would   you    teach    and    explain    the 
Seventh  Commandment  to  little  children?     In  what 
way  would  this  differ  from  the  instruction  to  older 
pupils  ? 

213 


Methods  of  Teaching  the  Primary  Grades — //. 

8.  Contrast  the  Sixth  and  Eighth  Command- 
ments. 

9.  Illustrate  your  method  of  teaching  the  Ninth 
Commandment. 

10.  What  is  meant  by  coveting?    What  other 
Commandments  are  often  violated  as  a  consequence  of 
breaking  this  Commandment? 


214 


Correspondence  School 

for 

RELIGIOUS  SCHOOL  TEACHERS 
Conducted  by 

The  Jewish  Chautauqua  Society 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Henry  Berkowitz  William  Rosenau 

Chancellor  Dean 


*I  This  school  furnishes,  un- 
der the  direction  of  a  well- 
selected  faculty  of  experts, 
instruction  to  all  desirous 
of  doing  Jewish  Religious 
Educational  work. 

^  Write  for  Prospectus  and 
Register  giving  detailed  in- 
formation to: 

MISS  JEANNETTE  MIRIAM  GOLDBERG 

Secretary  Jewish  Chautauqua  Socitty 

1400  JEFFERSON  STREET 
PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


The  Chautauqua  System 
of  Jewish  Education 


The  following  courses  for  individual  readers  or  study 
circles  are  offered  by  the  "Jewish  Chautauqua  Society  of 
America,"  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

I.  The  Op«n  Bible Paper,  $1.00 

A  syllabus  or  course-book  by  Rabbi  Henry  Berko- 
witz,  Chancellor  of  "The  Jewish  Chautauqua,"  Part 
one.  Fourteen  lessons,  Genesis  to  Solomon  inclusive. 

II.  The  Open  Bible,  part  II Paper,  $1.00 

Second  Year's  Course.  Continuation  of  the  above. 
Lesions  XV  to  XXXII:  Division  of  the  Kingdom  to 
close  of  Bible. 

HI.    Jewish  History  and  Literature Paper,  $1.00 

Post-Biblical.  Course  book  No.  1,  by  Prof.  Richard 
J.  H.  Gottheil  of  Columbia  University.  Covering 
the  period  from  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  Babylon 
to  the  Beginning  of  the  Christian  Era.  16  lessons. 

IV.  Jewish  History  and  Literature Paper,  $1.00 

Post-Biblical.  Course  book  No.  2,  by  Prof.  Gottheil. 
Covering  the  period  from  the  Origin  of  Christianity 
to  the  completion  of  the  Talmud.  Sixteen  lessons. 

V.  Jewish  History  and  Literature Paper,  $1.00 

Post-Biblical.  Course  book  No.  Ill,  by  Professor 
Gottheil.  The  brilliant  era  of  Spanish-Jewish  hii- 
tory.  Sixteen  lessons. 

VI.  Jewish  History  and  Literature Paper,  $1.00 

Post-Biblical.  Course  book  No.  IV,  by  Dr.  M.  H. 
Hairis.  The  Middle  Ages  to  the  "Expulsion  of  the 
Jews  from  Spain."  Sixteen  lessons. 

VII.  "American  Jewish  History" Paper,  50c. 

By  Rabbi  Henry  Berkowitz,  Chancellor  of  "The 
Jewish  Chautauqua."  Sixteen  lessons. 


VHI.     The  Jewish  Religion Paper,  $1.00 

By  Rev.  Morris  Joseph,  of  London ;  a  succinct  pre- 
sentation of  the  pecepts  and  practices  of  Judaism  as 
they  are  held  by  modern  Jews.  Twenty  lessons. 

IX.  Hebrew  Course  Book,  No.  1 Cloth,  25c. 

By  Rabbi  Gerson  B.  Levi,  of  Chicago.  For  self  in- 
struction or  class-room.  The  elements  of  Hebrew 
reading  and  Translation  in  51  lessons.  Serves  as  an 
Introduction  to  the  Hebrew  Prayer  Book. 

X.  Hebrew  Course  Book,  No.  2 Paper,  25c. 

By  Rabbi  Gerson  B.  Levi,  of  Chicago.  The  essen- 
tials of  Hebrew  Grammar  taught  by  the  correspond- 
ence method.  Eighteen  lessons.  Serves  as  an 
Introduction  to  the  Hebrew  Scriptures. 

XI.  Jewish  Characters  in  English  Fiction ...  Paper,  $1.00 

By  Rabbi  Harry  Levi,  of  Boston.  Second  edition 
(1911)  revised  and  enlarged,  pp.  173.  In  seventeen 
lessons. 

XII.  Current  Topic  Course Paper,  25c. 

Correspondence  method.  Subjects  of  Jewish  and 
general  interest  outlined  for  popular  discussion  with 
Loan  Library  of  books  of  reference,  Debate  Syllabus  I, 
"The  Immigration  Problem."  Other  topics  in 
preparation 


For  enrollment  in  these  courses  and  to  secure  the 
books  and  for  all  other  information  on  this  subject, 

address : 

Miss  Jeannette  Miriam  Goldberg 

Secretary  Jewish  Chautauqua  Society 

1400  Jefferson  Street 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 


BOOKS  ISSUED 

By  the  Correspondence  School  for  Religious 
School  Teachers. 

Jewish  Education  —  Historical  Survey,  by  Abram  Simon, 
Ph.D.  and  William  Rosenau,  Ph.D.,  Vice-Chancellor  of 
the  Jewish  Chautauqua  Society Paper,  75c 

The  New  Education  in  Religion,  with  full  curriculum  of 
Jewish  studies  by  Henry  Berkowitz,  D.  D . ,  Chancellor  of  the 

Jewish  Chautauqua  Society,  Part  one,  cloth,  $1.25 Part 

two cloth,  $1.25- 

Methods  of  Teaching  Jewish  Ethics,  by  Julia  Richman, 
lessons  1-10,  and  Eugene  H.  Lehman  lessons  11-16,  cloth  $1.25 

Methods  of  Teaching  Primary  Grades,  by  Ella  Jacobs, 
Part  one,  $1.25 Part  two,  cloth,  $1.2$ 

Methods  of  Teaching  Biblical  History  in  Junior  and 
Senior  Grades,  by  Edward  M.  Calisch,  Ph.D.,  part 
one cloth,  $1.25  Part  two cloth,  $1.25 

Courses  in  preparation  and  to  appear  shortly : 

Pedagogy  as  Applied  to  Religious  Instruction,  by  David 
E  Weglein,  M.  A cloth,  $1.25- 

Methods  of  Teaching  the  Prophets,  by  Isaac  Landman, 
B  A cloth,  $1.25* 

Methods  of  Teaching  Jewish  Religion  in  Junior  and 
Senior  Grades,  by  Julius  H.  Greenstone,  Ph.D.,  cloth,  $1.25 

Methods  of  Teaching  Post  Biblical  History  and  Liter- 
ature, by  Martin  A.  Meyer,  Ph.D cloth,  $1.25 


The  Jewish  Chautauqua  Society 

is  the  sole  agent  for  this  literature 
PRICES    NET 


This  book  may  be 

FOURTEEN    DAYS 

from  last  date  given  below 

A  fine  of  Ten  Cents  will  be  charged  for  each  week 
the  book  is  kept  overtime. 


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